North Carolina Outer Banks Vistas

Wide beaches juxtaposed between partially vegetated sand dunes and the Atlantic ocean characterize the Outer Banks.

Outer Banks beach at Pea Island

From RIGHT to LEFT: Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull

The Outer Banks are known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic because of the hundreds of shipwrecks that have occurred here. Occasionally, new pieces of ancient shipwrecks are brought ashore by storms.

Shipwreck

Shipwreck

Although this was taken on a perfectly sunny day, the thick haze seen along the horizon was from a huge plume of smoke from a controlled burn on the mainland near Alligator River NWR and the U.S. Navy Bombing Range in Dare Co.

Here's another view of the smoke plume from the controlled burn on the mainland. This photo was taken from offshore.

View from Jeannette's Pier in Nags Head

View from Jeannette's Pier in Nags Head

View of buildings on Roanoke Sound.

Many winged horse statues can be found here, especially along the northern Outer Banks. Click here for more photos and information about the "winged horses of the Outer Banks."

Brackish marsh near Wanchese, NC is prime Black Rail habitat.

The Outer Banks have several very popular lighthouses, including this northernmost one at Corolla. Click here for more NC lighthouse photos.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

The Bodie Island marsh & ponds attract many species of birds from rails & raptors to wigeon & waders.

Oregon Inlet separates Bodie Island from Pea Island. Looking north in the distance in this photo, the Bodie Island lighthouse can be seen.

The old coast guard station at the north end of Pea Island (just south of the Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet) is both an Outer Banks icon and a great birding area.

Since it was decomissioned many years ago, the shifting sand dunes are taking over the old coast guard station.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is one of the reasons that the Outer Banks is one of the best birding locations in the eastern U.S.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

North Pond, one of 3 impoundments on the refuge, harbours thousands of ducks, swans, geese, shorebirds, etc., depending on the time of year.

Wide dikes with observation platforms make for excellent birding access.

The north dike of North Pond at Pea Island

Buxton Woods Nature Trail near Cape Hatteras Point goes through some excellent maritime forest habitat and can be a great place for migrant songbirds.

Typical maritime forest with Live Oak, Yaupon Holly, and Wax Myrtle at Cape Hatteras.

Around Thanksgiving 2006, several days of stormy, easterly winds & rain flooded the Cape Point area for weeks! This is the traditional parking area/fish cleaning station near ramp 44.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest and most famous of all of the Outer Banks lighthouses.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Cape Point often hosts scores of vehicles of surf fisherman

A large salt pond exists very near Cape Hatteras Point. This pond often hosts a wide variety of birds and has hosted many rare birds over the years.

At other times, the birds can be hiding...

Dune vegetation at Cape Hatteras Point

Dune vegetation at Cape Hatteras Point

Sunset over North Pond Impoundment on Pea Island

Sunset over North Pond Impoundment on Pea Island