
DATE: Thursday, November 6, 1997            TAG: 9711060480

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: ROANOKE ISLAND                    LENGTH:   79 lines

BIRD-WATCHERS ACROSS COUNTRY ARE FLOCKING TO DARE FESTIVAL

More than 200 nature lovers from as far away as California are expected to descend on Dare County this weekend for the first Wings Over Water birding festival.

Participants in the three-day event will be able to take part in a variety of activities, from observing the winged inhabitants of Pea Island to star gazing on Jockey's Ridge, or howling with the red wolves near Milltail Creek.

The festival is co-sponsored by Dare County, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, the Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society and the Dare County Tourist Bureau.

Organizers say the festival's aim is to boost environment-based tourism in the region.

``Birding festivals are really enjoying a tremendous boon across the county because of the economic impact they can have on an area,'' said Bonnie Strawser of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ``Eco-tourists leave only footprints, take only memories and spend only dollars.''

Gwen White, public relations coordinator for Wings Over Water, said the event drew the interest of county tourism officials because of the chance to boost off-season business.

``The community is always looking for something that will strengthen the shoulder season,'' White said. ``Because we have such a great diversity in nature, we felt this would be an opportunity to do this.''

Birding festivals throughout the country have drawn hundreds of feather finders, from beginners to the more experienced birder. Explorers can find up to 400 different species of birds on the Outer Banks and the Dare County mainland. The area is part of the Atlantic Flyway, a key route for migratory birds, and is also a popular location for sighting pelagic species - those birds who remain in or over water, except to nest and breed.

``Most people who are avid birders have heard of the Outer Banks and have heard of the Pea IslandRefuge,'' Strawser said. ``Cape Point, is well known among those looking for pelagic species.''

Serious birders have been known to invest thousands for sophisticated spotting scopes and binoculars. However, for first-timers, that's not necessary.

``You don't have to bring anything,'' said Strawser. ``Some people believe that you have to have an expensive spotting scope, but you don't need to bring anything. If you're going on one of the pelagic trips, you may want to bring a pair of binoculars.''

Along with the seminars, exhibits and outdoor activities, internationally known birder Pete Dunne will be the festival's keynote speaker. Dunne, 46, is director of Natural History for New Jersey Audubon. In 1984, he organized the World Series of Birding, a 24-hour birding competition that attracts amateur ornithologists from throughout the world. Dunne will speak at 9 a.m. Friday at a brunch held at the Dunes Restaurant in Nags Head. Later in the day, Dunne will conduct a seminar on birding optics.

A variety of other workshops featuring decoy carving, virtual reality shooting, beginning and advanced birding and offshore trips are also scheduled. While some events are free, others range from $10 to $95 per person.

Guided field trips scheduled for the weekend are graded A for avid birders, B, for casual birders, and C, for general natural history trips. Grade C trips are recommended for families and children.

Registration packets can be picked up at the Roanoke Island Festival Park, or at the Hatteras Village Civic Center on Hatteras Island.

Advance registration is recommended.

``We're trying to limit the number of participants in each activity to ensure low impact and high enjoyment,'' Strawser said. MEMO: Call 919-473-1131 for more information and a full schedule of

Wings Over Water events. ILLUSTRATION: ENVIRONMENTAL EVENT TAKES FLIGHT

DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot

A pair of swans, above, land on North Pond at the Pea Island

National Wildlife Refuge Wednesday. The refuge is one of several

spots participating in the birding festival. Bruce Smithson, right,

of Wilmington searches for interesting birds from a blind.

ACTIVITIES

GRAPHIC

[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]