Toward the end of October every year US Fish and Wildlife puts together one of the most spectacular outdoor show imaginable. And they don’t have to do anything except take people outside and show them the Outer Banks.
Wings Over Water is an annual celebration of the beauty of the Outer Banks and the two areas that USFW manage in the area—Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
The end of October ins when migratory waterfowl begin to fill the waters of the region with the sound of their calls. It is a magical time of the year, a reminder of the beauty of nature and and how complex and interwoven with our lives it is.
There was a small group that trekked along the dike separating the South Pond from the estuarine system that leads to the North Pond. It was a cloudless day, cool, but with the shining so brightly, comfortable.
The ponds were filled with water fowl, grebes, diving ducks, heron and so much more. In the trees yellow rumped warblers were everywhere. I small migratory bird they spend their winters on the Outer Banks in numbers that are in the thousands.
Among all of this burst of fall life, over species stood out. American White Pelican have been coming to Pea Island to winter for as long as anyone can recall, but this year, but this year seems to be exceptional. This huge, magnificent white bird is here is what may be record numbers.
Unlike its cousin, the brown pelican, the white pelican rarely flies over the ocean or uses its waters. They breed inland, North American lakes and by slow moving rivers. When they come to the Outer Banks, they seek out the impoundment as still waters of protected estuaries.
They congregate in huge elating colonies, often using that mass of bodies to churn up the waters and bring fish to the surface.
In recent years, no more than 100 have been counted, yet today, even by a conservative count, at least 150 were seen.
There is beauty on the Outer Banks that calls out for time to be spent exploring. Take that time, relax and enjoy the hospitality of a Brindley Beach Vacations home.