I spent two days at the Outer Banks last Saturday-Monday. Glyn and I stayed at the Tranquil House Inn in Manteo, a convenient location to some of my favorite photo spots. I primarily wanted to visit the Pea Island Refuge, which is an excellent location to see waterfowl, wading, and shorebirds this time of year. Before I visited the Refuge, I went to one of my favorite “off the road” jewels, the quaint fishing village of Wanchese. This village dates back to 900 AD, occupied by the Algonquin Indians who enjoyed the bounties of the Roanoke Sound as the location was established as the first fishing village on the Outer Banks. The Algonquin were present when the first English ships arrived, made friends, and Chief Wanchese, after whom the village was eventually named, and his counterpart, Chief Manteo made an expedition to England and returned apparently not impressed with what they saw. It is a theory that it was Wanchese’s aggression which led to the disappearance of the Lost Colony. Over the years, the Village was settled by Americans and gradually became a major seafood supplier for much of the eastern seaboard Now there is a major Seafood Industrial Park which thrives in its location by the Sound and quick assess to Oregon Inlet and the Atlantic beyond. The village is still off the beaten path and is easily missed by visitors anxious to get to the more active tourist areas of Nags Head and Kitty Hawk. But if you are a bird photographer and want to practice your flight shots, you don’t want to miss a stop here. Along the many docks where the fishing boats unload, many waterfowl, wading, and shorebirds hang out to catch a free meal. They are in constant movement, flying up and down the various channels , sometimes by the hundreds, but always they are there. You can stand on the dock and watch the parade go by and work on your flight technique. Give it a try--you will be thrilled!! The first gallery of pictures below were taken there last Saturday.
PEA ISLAND
On Sunday morning I was at Pea Island at 7AM, but it was “socked in”-cloudy and rainy-so Glyn and I spent the day shopping and enjoying some of our favorite food spots. Finally on Monday morning, I was again at the Refuge at 7, and the temperature was 23 degrees with the wind at 30mph!! I bundled up and along with one other diehard photographer, started the trek around the main impoundment . The birds were obviously hunkered down from the cold, and few were moving about. For the next two hours, I was able to get pics of the usual wading birds, a few Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, and one lone meadowlark.The highlight of the day was seeing White Pelicans and two Bald Eagles fishing the impoundment. By 9AM, with frozen fingers and nose, I was happy to get in the warm car and head to hot coffee and breakfast!! See the Pea Island Refuge Photos in the second gallery below
PEA ISLAND
On Sunday morning I was at Pea Island at 7AM, but it was “socked in”-cloudy and rainy-so Glyn and I spent the day shopping and enjoying some of our favorite food spots. Finally on Monday morning, I was again at the Refuge at 7, and the temperature was 23 degrees with the wind at 30mph!! I bundled up and along with one other diehard photographer, started the trek around the main impoundment . The birds were obviously hunkered down from the cold, and few were moving about. For the next two hours, I was able to get pics of the usual wading birds, a few Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, and one lone meadowlark.The highlight of the day was seeing White Pelicans and two Bald Eagles fishing the impoundment. By 9AM, with frozen fingers and nose, I was happy to get in the warm car and head to hot coffee and breakfast!! See the Pea Island Refuge Photos in the second gallery below
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