A Morning at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

Pea Island is a little drive north of our home on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks.  It's not easy to drag yourself out of bed an hour before sunrise to make sure you are in the right place and on this particular morning, I drug my heals and arrived at Pea Island after the golden hour was over.  Many of the birds had gone off for the day, doing what birds do, while the bugs were out in full force, torturing you despite the heavy use of repellent.

pea island, hatteras island, outer banks, wildlife, birding

I pushed through the trail around Pea Island, thinking it was 2 miles long.  After a while, I began to realize that the trail was much longer than that.  My options were to turn around, tracing my steps through what I had already seen, or continue on, knowing the trail had to turn back towards the road eventually.  So, I pushed through, walking through waist high grasses, filled with stickers and all things itchy.

pea island, hatteras island, outer banks, wildlife, birding

pea island, hatteras island, outer banks, wildlife, birding

As I walked on, I began to ignore the bites of the bugs, the sting of the sharp grasses against my bare legs.  Instead, I looked up, noticing the trees against the brilliant blue sky, the birds flying high above my head.

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I was thrilled when I noticed a flock of birds take flight that I had never seen, later realizing they were White Ibis, a beautiful stork like bird.  The Outer Banks are the northern most reach of these birds.

pea island, hatteras island, outer banks, wildlife, birding

pea island, hatteras island, outer banks, wildlife, birding

The last hour of my walk passed quietly and quickly and before I knew it, the trail turned sharply to the right, leading me back to the main road which would take me to my waiting truck.

pea island, hatteras island, outer banks, wildlife, birding

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Virginia Beach photographer Jennifer Carr is a landscape and portrait photographer currently scheduling senior, couples, and family portrait sessions and photography lessons in the Coastal Virginia Hampton Roads area, including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk.