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Tourists aren’t the only visitors who arrive on the Outer Banks every year. Due to its location along the Atlantic Flyway, the Outer Banks is a common stop for migrating birds and wintering waterfowl, and there’s
also a wide variety of species that call the
area home year round. There are plenty of opportunities to see birds and other wildlife
on the northern Outer Banks within Currituck Heritage Park, the Currituck Banks National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the four-wheel drive beach area, not to mention the additional miles of coastline.
Mark Buckler travels the coast as well as inland eastern North Carolina to photograph wildlife and landscapes, and he says that there is wildlife to be seen all over the Outer Banks. Buckler’s photography has won awards from the North American Nature Photography Association and the Carolinas’ Nature Photography Association. He uses special equipment to capture wildlife in their natural habitats, such as a super-telephoto lens to
capture birds, a macro-lens for close-ups, and
a wide-angle lens for landscape shots. His equipment is weather-sealed to protect it from blowing sand and moisture. On the Outer Banks, “it’s important to have equipment that can stand up to the elements,” Buckler says.
Buckler is also the program director at the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, located in Currituck Heritage Park in Corolla. In addition to a variety of exhibits, the center hosts programs that are a great way to learn about the native wildlife. Buckler teaches nature photography classes.
Heritage Park, which also includes The Whalehead Club and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, is a good place to spot wildlife, says Buckler. In the summer there are ospreys on site. Look for them on
the roof of The Whalehead Club, on nesting platforms in the park, and on top of the channel marker in the sound behind The Whalehead Club.
Dragonflies are prevalent in the summertime at the park, and they star in the Center for Wildlife Education’s program “Dragon Hunters.” Another wildlife-viewing opportunity at Heritage Park includes a quarter-mile-long wooden boardwalk, which is between the Center for Wildlife Education and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. The boardwalk leads out into the sound, and Buckler recommends bringing binoculars along on this walk to view birds and waterfowl. In winter the
population of waterfowl includes tundra swans, northern pintails, green-winged teals and scaup, locally known as blackheads. There’s also a public boat ramp in Heritage Park, where birders can launch kayaks, canoes or motorboats for viewing waterfowl and other wildlife.
Another excellent place to view wildlife
on the northern beaches is just a quarter-mile north of the lighthouse at the Currituck Banks National Estuarine Research Reserve. To reach the reserve, drive past the lighthouse until N.C. Highway 12 begins to take a sharp right turn, and the parking lot for the Reserve will be straight ahead. The 954-acre reserve is
bordered on the south by the Ocean Hill
subdivision and on the north by tracts of land owned by The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Currituck Banks is one of ten Coastal Reserve sites along the coast of North Carolina. You can visit the Currituck Banks Reserve and walk along the wooden boardwalk that leads to the sound. The boardwalk
is one-third-mile long and handicapped-
accessible. A primitive trail (marked with blue posts) is located off the boardwalk and leads a mile and a half through a maritime forest to end at the Currituck Sound.
The boardwalk takes you through several habitats, explains Ann Wunderly, the Northern Sites Manager for the Coastal Reserve. It begins in a shrub thicket with
small live oaks and other trees that remain short because of wind and salt spray. Then it progresses to a maritime forest with larger live oaks, wax myrtles and pines. You may hear and see the songbirds that reside here, like blue jays, pine warblers and blue-gray gnatcatchers. There are also areas of maritime swamp forest. Because there are plenty of grasses and ferns for them to munch, rabbits are likely to be found here. The boardwalk continues on through marsh grasses and then to an overlook at the sound. Wunderly says to look for a snag pine tree, and you may see a pileated woodpecker. You may hear nutria rustling in the marsh grasses, or see one swimming in the sound. Buckler says that he
often sees otters in the sound from the overlook on the boardwalk. You may see wading birds like great blue herons and great egrets. From the sound overlook you’ll see Monkey Island, which is an important breeding ground for herons and egrets. The island is home to more than 1,000 bird nests, according to Buckler.
It’s unlikely that you’ll see wild horses while walking the boardwalk on the reserve. Wunderly explains that Currituck Banks is the southernmost point of the area where the wild horse herd is allowed to roam free. At the southern boundary of the four-wheel drive beach area there is a fence that prevents the horses from roaming farther south. The beach north of the fence is accessible by foot and
by four-wheel drive vehicles, but all-terrain vehicles are restricted. If you’re determined
to catch a glimpse of the wild horses, there
are three companies in Corolla that offer
commercial wild-horse tours.
If you aren’t lucky enough to see any wildlife, you can always look for signs of wildlife. There are bound to be animal tracks imprinted in muddy areas; look for the footprints of opossum, raccoons, deer and muskrats, or trails left behind by snakes. Look for marks on trees that were scratched by deer antlers. Animals like raccoons and nutria create ruts
or paths in marsh grasses and fields. If nothing else, there’s always one telltale sign that
animals leave behind – scat.
It’s important to keep in mind a few rules when encountering wildlife. Always keep
your distance while observing. Don’t feed wild animals, or disturb them from feeding in their own habitat. Never leave any litter behind,
as any trash could be potentially harmful to wildlife. Keep dogs leashed. When walking a trail, stay on the designated path. By observing wildlife responsibly and respecting their
natural habitat you can help ensure that the wildlife stays wild.
If you don’t have a chance to see any wildlife during your visit, be sure to view Buckler’s photographs. They are on display in the main hallway of the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, and they are shown and sold in several local galleries. You can find Buckler’s work at the Dolphin Watch Gallery in the TimBuck II Shopping Center in Corolla, the Wooden Feather Wildlife Gallery in the Scarborough Lane Shopping Village in Duck, Sea Tree Gallery in Nags Head and the Southern Dreams Gallery in downtown Columbia, NC. Or, you can visit his website to view and purchase his exquisite photography. Go to www.markbucklerphotography.com |
