One of the things I enjoy most about living in North Carolina is the vast diversity of wildlife that can be found within a few hours of leaving my home.   No matter which direction I travel, there are public lands to explore, teeming with wildlife. Be it deer, bear, elk, birds, butterflies, turtles – every season yields new treasures to be discovered and seen. But I especially love all the wonderful waterfowl that visit NC in the winter.  With thoughts of Snow Geese, Tundra Swan, and hundreds of wintering ducks, I packed my gear and bags, loaded up my car and headed east for the coast.  The excitement built the closer I got.  To me, winter birding at the coast is much like going to Disneyland as a child.  Before I knew it, I was pulling into the parking lot of the Visitors’ Center at Pea Island NWR, just south of Nags Head.   As soon as I parked my car, I was greeted by the sounds of hundreds of Tundra Swan calling!  I grabbed my camera, headed for the trail, and soon I was gazing out over North Pond with a view of hundreds of Tundra Swan, White Pelicans, and a variety of ducks…Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, to name a few!  If you have never experienced wintering waterfowl along our Outer Banks, I highly recommend it.  I continued my walk along the wildlife trail between North Pond and New Field Pond stopping at the observation decks […]

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