North Carolina Outer Banks Trip Report

June 1 - 9, 2004

To download the Sightings Report for this trip (in PDF format), click here.

TOUR LEADER:

Brian Vernachio has established and now directs New Jersey Audubon Society’s Plainsboro Preserve in Plainsboro.  While growing up in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and the shores of Barnegat Bay, Brian developed a keen interest in natural history and birding. His degree in Environmental Studies from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey allows him to share this interest with people of all ages.  He has been leading natural history tours for NJAS Eco-Travel for over ten years, during which time he has traversed North America through the desert southwest, the Rocky Mountains and both coasts. Brian is co-author of two books including  Wild Journeys:  Migration in New Jersey, and NJ WATERS: A Watershed Approach to Teaching the Ecology of Regional System. While not leading tours, Brian continues to explore North America and still walks the sandy roads in the Pine Barrens with his wife and two children.

ITINERARY:

Tuesday, June 1 -  Eager with anticipation of meeting new people and seeing new places, the group met in the evening for a brief orientation.  Night in Hampton Inn-Norfolk Airport.

Wednesday, June 2 –    Starting at 7:00 AM we packed the van and headed towards Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.  A traffic jam slowed our progress, but several fly-by birds and a few bad puns made the wait more “enjoyable.”  The Dismal Swamp, with its dense wet woods, echoed bird song from within.  Almost as if harboring a secret, these trees whispered in the soft breeze.  We discovered some of those secrets today, including a very cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoo that clucked from a perch along the road shoulder.  Prothonotary Warblers and Carolina Wrens formed the background chorus to our explorations.  The sun washed sections of the road were warming basins for all sorts of butterflies.  We saw a swallowtail extravaganza featuring Zebra, Palmede’s, Eastern Tiger, Spicebush, and Pipevine swallowtails.  Then in the distance, the wailing of a Red-shouldered Hawk reminded us that we still had much exploration to do.  An  algae swarmed dike held even more surprises, as we discovered different species of frogs poking their heads from the mire, while a nearby boardwalk was the stage for a very cooperative Hooded Warbler.  Lunch at Merchants Millpond State Park gave us the great opportunity to commune with a beautiful cypress swamp with close-up views of Yellow-throated Warblers.  Luis’ sharp eyes spied  Summer Tanagers along the trail.   That night, under the auspices of an almost full, but amazingly beautiful moon, we listened to the marsh harmony of chuck-wills-widow  Night in Elizabethan Inn, Manteo.

Thursday, June 3 - Today we explored some of the vast and wild Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.  The mix of swampy woods, pocosins, and forests yielded really good looks at Prothonotary, Prairie and Black-throated Green Warblers.  Variegated Fritillaries danced from flower to flower while Painted Skimmers and Eastern Pondhawks  patrolled the sand road shoulders for wayward insects.  A conversation with a Barred Owl was brusquely ended by the owl himself, as he flew by into the thick woods.  Black Bear signs were apparent, but the bears were not, as we watched Green Darners laying eggs and caught frogs near Miltail Creek.  One of the most amazing sights this day, and perhaps one of the more memorable of the tour, was the spider that wound its dragonfly prey and carried it to a place for later dining.       After lunch (ours not the spider’s), we visited nearby Bodie Island Lighthouse and pond.  The interpretive center exhibits gave us a good background on area history and lifesaving.  The pond at Bodie Island had a wide array of waterbirds including Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, and Black-necked Stilt.  Across from Bodie Island  Coquina Beach and the wreck of the Laura Barnes were the backdrop to  scads  of ghost crabs scurrying on the drifting white sands and one Red Knot, not yet giving in to the migratory urge that possessed its brethren.  Driving about, we tested our skills at lighthouse trivia. Night in Elizabethan Inn, Manteo.

Friday, June 4 -  An early (4:30 AM) start put us aboard the Country Girl, one of Manteo’s fastest fishing boats for our first pelagic into the  warm waters of the Gulf Stream.  We skirted many thunderstorms on the ocean’s face and were treated to the amazing spectacle of a waterspout.  Essentially a tornado at sea, this phenomena captivated our attention as we watched it thrash the water below it.  Good looks at a Fea’s Petrel livened up things with an early chase.  While  flying fish, dolphins, and birds like Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, and Black-capped Petrel entertained us. The boat was almost always accompanied by a cadre of Wilson’s Storm Petrels.  Their feeding antics mesmerized even the most intensive of birders.  The rough seas made for some interesting rides, and at times even the leaders struggled with a bit of “mal de mer”, but overall it was an amazing day at sea.  Night in Elizabethan Inn, Manteo.

Saturday, June 5 –- A rather relaxed day with a later start (8:30 AM).   We visited historic Fort Raleigh, site of the lost colony and the Elizabethan Gardens.  The Hydrangea and roses at the gardens were in bloom and we could not escape (though no one was complaining) the perfume of the Gardenias as we walked the shady garden trails. Palmede’s Swallowtail and other butterflies fed on the blooms, while Broad-headed Skinks lurked in the beds in search of prey.  At Fort Raleigh, we learned the mystery of the lost colony and were able to wonder at their fate.  As we walked the wooded pathways the question as to whether or not we could survive here arose in each of our minds.  We delved further into this history rich area, as we visited the location of the Wright Brother’s first flights.  Historical photographs also intimated the nature of succession, as what were bare sand dunes were now forested areas less than 100 years later. Night in Elizabethan Inn, Manteo.

Sunday, June 6 – A trip to the Outer Banks in early June is incomplete without a second pelagic trip. This trip left out of Hatteras Inlet, a shorter ride to the Gulf Stream.  Highlights of this day included the amazing sight of a fourteen foot Mako Shark, warding and eating the swordfish it presumably killed.  Even the well-seasoned boat crew was in awe at this once in a lifetime experience.  Meanwhile shearwaters, storm-petrels and  gadfly petrels circled the boat.  An amazing time! Just when we began to head in, a shout from the back of the boat alerted everyone to a Masked Booby!  An unexpected bonus for us.  Besides the birding and the wildlife, the boat crew caught mahi-mahi which they cooked for us and a rather large White Marlin.   Night in Elizabethan Inn,  Manteo.

Monday, June 7-  Pea Island NWR is always a rewarding stop for wading birds and shorebirds, not to mention a really sensational gift shop!  We saw a full house of terns including Sandwich and Black Terns.  White Ibis and several egrets fed nearby without paying much mind to us.  Another of the memorable experiences on the tour was Carolyn’s turtle call.  Out of the murky depths of the pond came twelve to fifteen different turtle including a Snapping Turtle that was larger than a tire.  Cape Hatteras lighthouse was a study in mechanics, as we saw the perseverance of humanity in the move of such a majestic structure.    The movie was well worth taking the time to see. The evening found an intrepid few at Bodie Island Lighthouse, where the chorus of Squirrel and Green Tree Frogs drowned out all sounds, even the thoughts within our heads.  Rick spotted a Great Horned Owl that paid a brief visit to a perch in the middle of the marsh, then moved on into the night without a sound. Night in Elizabethan Inn, Manteo.

Tuesday, June 8 – Our morning was spent at Palmetto Pear Tree Preserve.  This unique area is woodpecker heaven- seven different woodpecker species, including Red-cockaded nest here. We got to hear all of them and even saw most of them except for the elusive Pileated Woodpecker, which lingered at the edges of our perception.  A distant Swainson’s Warbler chimed in before we were ready to depart.  Later in the day we visited the serene grounds of Currituck Lighthouse, an old brick lighthouse that is truly unique.  The nearby butterfly garden was alive with butterflies.  Hundreds of American Ladies, Silver-spotted Skippers and road-winged Skippers nectared at the wonderful array of plants.  A final stop before heading back to Norfolk provided much needed sustenance. John’s Drive in, famous for its milk shakes, lived up to its reputation. Night in Hampton Inn- Airport, Norfolk.

For tour itineraries, to register, or for more information contact:

NJAS Eco-Travel at: (908)-204-8998
9 Hardscrabble Road
Bernardsville, NJ 07924
or email travel@njaudubon.org.

If you are not a member and would like to become one, consider Joining New Jersey Audubon Society.