Hard-to-access island serves to protect birds, habitat | News

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Bird Island, about three quarters of a mile off the Fort Fisher Coast, is normally off limits to most humans – but not on Wednesday, when WECT's Zach Hunt took an exclusive tour.

The island is literally for the birds, and can only be accessed by boat. It is one of 19 islands that Audubon North Carolina manages, which are home to 30 to 35 percent of nesting water birds in the state.

There are several of such islands in the Lower Cape Fear River that have been created by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

As they dredged the river, they deposited the sand in cost effective areas. These areas eventually became islands, which are now home to the birds.

So why the islands? Lindsay Addison of Audubon North Carolina explained, "One of the things people often say is, ‘Why can't the birds go someplace else?' Or say, ‘Let's let the birds go someplace else." But this is someplace else for them. They've lost the beaches. They nest on islands now, and that's been great for them."

Protecting the islands from human disturbance is the biggest concern for Audubon NC. If human interaction occurs, it could jeopardize the survival of the birds.

"That's why protecting these islands from disturbance is so important," said Addison. "If they're disturbed at the wrong time of year, they'll fail just as surely as if they didn't have a habitat in the first place."

The islands are perfect for the birds because of their isolation.

"It's easy to view the birds from a boat if you're passing by, especially from the Southport Fort Fisher Ferry," said Addison.

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