One of our favorite places to go just to relax and see a different side of the Outer Banks is Sandy Run Park on the Woods Road in Kitty Hawk. We’ve written about it before, and probably will again in the future. It’s simply a very pleasant and relaxing place to visit.
We stopped by the other day, camera in had and were rewarded with range of birds, turtles and even a squirrel or two we don’t usually see.
There was a big old snapping turtle in the shallow water by the fishing pier. Just relaxing and then he—or maybe she—slipped back into the deeper water and swam off.
There was a really good sized blue crab under the one of the bridges. The osprey are still there, although they will probably be heading south very soon.
There was a mourning dove almost hidden in a pine tree. In the deep foliage of a the pines, a pair of Carolina chickadees were feeding on seeds. And of course there were some common grackles hanging out in the trees making a racket.
As always the yellow bellied sliders were there. They’ve learned humans mean food; slow down by any railing over looking the water, and little turtle heads start swarming toward the chance of a free lunch.
But there was one bird that showed up that hasn’t been seen at Sandy Run before.
There was a raucous caw from the bank across from the main fishing pond and then a blue bird appeared, flying low and fast it scooted from one end of the embankment to the other. It was a belted kingfisher. Quite distinctive looking, it perched on a low lying tree limb, it took a moment and flew to back to where it started.
Although that was the first time we’ve seen a belted kingfisher at Sandy Run, the bird is considered fairly common in it range. Still, beautiful and wonderful to see.
There is so much to see and do on the Outer Banks. Bring and book, a camera and of course yourself. A Brindley Beach Vacations home is the perfect location for your next vacation.