Beaufort Harbor

Horses of Rachel Carson Reserve & Nature Trails

2012-02-10T15:50:00.006-05:00

Photo contributed by Reserve volunteer, Robin Newton. Horses are from the same social group or "harem." Left to right: Sugargoot (lead stallion), Trilobite (subordinate stallion), and Beth (female) in the background.
A Beaufort resident, Dr. Luther Fulcher, placed horses on the islands in 1947. Livestock was also taken over to the islands to graze. With the resident's passing, the horses remained and became feral, reverting from domestication back to the wild. The horses became the property of the state when the land was purchased in the 1980s. There are currently 32 horses on the reserve - one male foal (born December 2010), 14 adult males and 17 adult females. (updated 9/8/2011) .

The main food supply of the feral horse is Smooth Cordgrass--Spartina alternaflora.

Despite the harsh conditions the horses have thrived on the reserve. During the late 1980s and early 1990s the population exceeded capacity. This led to massive malnutrition and several deaths. The horses are considered a cultural resource; management action was required using a birth control program. This coupled with natural mortality helped the population get near the target number of 30 horses.

The reserve's staff from the Beaufort office oversees the horse management. Individual horses are identified, photographed and maintained. Each horse is tracked for births, general health, social habits and eventually death. Beyond the birth control program, the horse population is treated as a wild herd.

The wild horses living on the Rachel Carson Reserve are beautiful and powerful animals. To many, they represent freedom and wildness for all to enjoy. Let's all participate in protecting them (and visitor safety) by giving these majestic wild animals their space. Watching them from at least a school bus length away (preferably more) will help the horses retain their wild nature and keep visitors out of the way of fighting stallions (pictured above) or a mare protecting her foal. MORE including trails as well as rules and safety tips...

2011 Favorites

2012-01-16T14:03:00.002-05:00

CLICK PHOTO FOR 2011 FAVORITES

East End of Shackelford

2012-01-04T14:07:00.002-05:00

Zoomed View - East End of Shackelford Banks with Cape Lookout Beyond

Nice Sunrise (again) with Blink of Lighthouse

2011-12-15T08:18:00.001-05:00

Nice Color

2011-12-09T15:41:00.001-05:00

Morning Light and Reflections

2011-12-06T07:40:00.001-05:00

Beaufort Harbor 1911 and 2011

2011-12-02T08:49:00.001-05:00

Pink Creek Sunset

2011-11-25T17:15:00.001-05:00

Some better shots of cormorants today between Pivers and Radio islands

2011-11-25T11:07:00.001-05:00

Cormorants & Pelicans Gathering - East End of Bird Shoal

2011-11-23T09:29:00.001-05:00

Noon and Still Fogged In

2011-11-16T12:00:00.001-05:00

LOOKING TOWARD BEAUFORT

LOOKING TOWARD BEAUFORT INLET AND FORT MACON

Beaufort Wakes Up

2011-11-14T06:37:00.001-05:00

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE AND SEE LIGHTS IN TOWN

Sunrise

2011-11-13T06:41:00.001-05:00

BE SURE TO CLICK TO ENLARGE THE IMAGE

Crowded Harbor - Waiting Out Storm

2011-11-05T14:38:00.000-04:00

VERY HIGH WIND TODAY - NOTE WAVES

Low Tide Seems a Lot Lower

2011-10-27T16:22:00.000-04:00

Several small boats have run aground on this sandbar. Even though some dredging was done, it appears sand may have shifted with Irene. Just a heads up to watch for it if you venture between Pivers and Radio Islands when tide isn't low enough to see the protruding sandbars.

Five Similar Sailboats Leaving Inlet This Morning

2011-10-27T07:45:00.002-04:00

Perhaps they are they the same boats posted in last night's Beaufort Docks sunset photo by Dylan Ray in News Times online.

Another Nice Sunrise -

2011-10-26T07:25:00.000-04:00

Beaufort in the Rain - 9am

2011-10-19T09:19:00.000-04:00

Sunrise Over Beaufort

2011-10-13T07:25:00.000-04:00

Solo White Cloud Over Cape Lookout Lighthouse

2011-09-27T17:40:00.000-04:00

Sunrise Over Beaufort

2011-09-21T07:51:00.000-04:00

September Moon over Beaufort

2011-09-11T19:40:00.000-04:00

Pelican Visitors

2011-09-05T12:37:00.000-04:00

Post-Irene pelicans and egrets found a new fishing ground in the still somewhat empty docks at OTYC.

Lady Kimberly and Capt. Ken

2011-09-01T14:26:00.000-04:00

Unusual...

2011-08-08T08:43:00.002-04:00

Unusual vessel coming through the inlet this morning...a spoils barge being used in dredge work in Morehead City.

Sailboat and Pirate Rig

2011-07-19T16:06:00.001-04:00

Picture-perfect 83-Degree July Day

2011-07-16T11:03:00.000-04:00

Full Moon - Note Cape Lookout Light

2011-07-14T21:01:00.000-04:00

FYI: At Beaufort Docks

2011-07-12T08:15:00.000-04:00

Super Yacht Mystique

Contrast in Color - Warm and Cool

2011-07-11T22:28:00.002-04:00

Beautiful Tropical-water Day

2011-07-10T14:59:00.000-04:00

Pink Evening Light After a Rainy Day

2011-07-09T20:40:00.000-04:00

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-02T13:01:00.000-04:00

Beaufort Inlet - From Bird Shoal to Shackelford Banks

2011-06-25T13:24:00.001-04:00

HANGIN' OUT ON BIRD SHOAL

2011-06-14T17:45:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day Launch - "Summa Time"

2011-05-29T12:54:00.000-04:00

QUICK SHOWER

2011-05-17T09:48:00.000-04:00

Horses Drawn to Greening Grass on Bird Shoal

2011-05-04T18:17:00.001-04:00

Greening Grass on Bird Shoal - Shackelford Beyond

Horses Munch on West End of Bird Shoal - Inlet Beyond

Late-afternoon Sail - West of Town Marsh

2011-05-01T20:14:00.000-04:00

Huge Full-arc Double Rainbow from Pivers Island to Shackelford

2011-04-12T19:39:00.002-04:00

Departing

2011-04-03T09:51:00.000-04:00

Almost missed this ship departing Beaufort this morning.

Windy but Gorgeous Day!!

2011-03-24T15:21:00.001-04:00

2011-03-24T13:33:00.004-04:00

SUPER MOON Over Beaufort

2011-03-19T19:56:00.000-04:00

Sunrise Over Beaufort

2011-03-19T07:31:00.000-04:00

Full Moon Over Beaufort Before Sunset

2011-03-18T19:13:00.000-04:00

Rainbow Over Beaufort

2011-03-06T18:04:00.002-05:00

Fish Towne Regatta

2011-03-05T12:41:00.000-05:00

Cold, Windy & Clear

2011-03-03T16:44:00.004-05:00


It's so clear...water is unusually dark blue. One can easily see Cape Lookout beyond Shackelford.

Sparklin' Water of Crystal Coast

2011-03-02T12:02:00.002-05:00

Perfect Day for Sailin'......

2011-02-27T15:45:00.000-05:00

Sailin' in the Saturday Sunshine

2011-02-19T13:01:00.000-05:00

Must Be The Moon

2011-02-18T13:36:00.000-05:00

Tide is really low on the west side of Pivers Island and Bird Shoal.

Swirling Clouds

2011-02-16T14:45:00.000-05:00

2011-02-09T13:47:00.002-05:00

About 18 horses (all not in view) coming over to Bird Shoal, perhaps for the afternoon or night.They've disappeared into the thicket of trees--do they know something we don't?

Horses in the Sun

2011-01-30T16:45:00.002-05:00

10-12 HORSES EATING AND SUNNING

Sunday Morning

2011-01-30T07:21:00.001-05:00

Pink Sunset Over Beaufort Inlet

2011-01-23T17:38:00.000-05:00

The Morning After

2011-01-23T11:11:00.000-05:00

IT'S A BLIZZARD!

2011-01-22T14:31:00.003-05:00

LOOKING TOWARD PIVERS ISLAND FROM RADIO ISLAND

BIRD SHOAL

BOAT COMING IN TO BEAUFORT HARBOR

A LUCKY SHOT

2011-01-17T07:33:00.001-05:00

A ship boat passed by--seconds before the sun was to bright to capture--and a couple of seagulls balanced the shot.

Nice Color After the Big-Color Sunrise Below

2011-01-15T07:56:00.001-05:00

2011-01-15T07:17:00.005-05:00

Early Morning Drink - Horses Between Town Marsh and Bird Shoal

2011-01-10T12:09:00.002-05:00

MORNING SNOW...

2011-01-10T08:35:00.002-05:00

SNOW COVERING THE SANDBAR PART OF BIRD SHOAL

THE INLET

2011-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

First Light of a New Decade - WOW!!

2011-01-01T07:20:00.005-05:00

White Frosting

2010-12-27T08:22:00.003-05:00

2010-12-26T11:03:00.003-05:00

ALMOST A WHITE OUT! LOOKING TOWARD BEAUFORT

2010-12-26T11:02:00.001-05:00

LOOKING TOWARD SHACKLEFORD AND CAPE LOOKOUT

2010-12-26T10:58:00.001-05:00

JUST BEGINNING TO SNOW

2010-12-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

As snow clouds move in, there's light over Cape Lookout

2010-12-26T08:31:00.001-05:00

A little snow mixed with rain...20mph wind is kicking up the water..

2010-12-25T11:10:00.003-05:00

Grande Caribe in town for the holiday.
Seventeen crew members on the way to Belize.

2010-12-22T16:23:00.000-05:00

2010-12-22T09:57:00.000-05:00

...Still Waters...

2010-12-18T10:31:00.001-05:00

Cold Rainy Day - Scow-schooner "Nina"

2010-12-10T07:02:00.003-05:00

SUNRISE

2010-11-29T16:45:00.003-05:00

Lovely Afternoon Light - 4:45pm

2010-11-16T16:31:00.000-05:00

Bird, Boat and Rainbow

End of a rainy day...

2010-11-06T13:34:00.002-04:00

Beautiful October-November Clouds

2010-11-06T10:18:00.002-04:00

Strange - A little cottage floating into Beaufort...

2010-11-05T08:55:00.004-04:00

The Yacht - Quasart

2010-11-05T08:04:00.000-04:00

Sunrise Light Rays Over the Barrier Islands

2010-10-24T07:40:00.001-04:00

Sunrise - Wonderful Color

2010-10-23T18:49:00.000-04:00

That Crazy Full Moon - Low in the Sky After Sunset

2010-10-22T18:42:00.001-04:00

Full Moon Before Sunset
Dolphins Playing in the Creek (couldn't catch them with camera)

2010-10-20T07:33:00.000-04:00

2010-10-19T07:38:00.001-04:00

"Oh my goodness!" Sunrise this morning

2010-10-14T18:48:00.000-04:00

Cotton-candy clouds--dusk over Beaufort

A SPECIAL SUNSET

2010-10-04T18:32:00.002-04:00

2010-10-04T15:27:00.001-04:00

Cool cloudy day...

A few rays of light spotlight yachts, courthouse cupola and a sandbar

2010-10-02T07:50:00.001-04:00

Bright blue sky reflections in the water

2010-10-01T14:41:00.001-04:00

MegaYacht Cherosa leaving Beaufort

2010-10-01T09:50:00.000-04:00

What a difference a day makes...

Tropical Storm Nicole from Radio Island

2010-09-30T08:40:00.012-04:00

Wind and rain ALL night and ALL day!! Actually too much wind and rain to take good photos. Waves in the inlet and birds are struggling to fly...just saw a flock of pelicans just "floating" without trying to move their wings. Waves crashing at the south end of Piver's Island. It slows up, then starts again. Seems like it's never going to end...I'm getting seasick :) David Sobotta in Swansboro/White Oak says they are up to 15.5 inches of rain, 12 inches in less than 24 hours, and , of course, it's still raining.

2010-09-23T19:26:00.001-04:00

Harvest Moon over Beaufort

2010-09-22T08:06:00.005-04:00

Painting Notes - "Rivulets" show up nicely with the
contrast of early morning light and still waters.

2010-09-21T07:59:00.001-04:00

2010-09-19T19:05:00.003-04:00

Interesting tanker/freighter coming through the inlet, escorted by
tugboat and headed to Morehead City port. Oops..a little out of focus.