The weather is warming—well, not right now necessarily. But overall, there is no doubt that spring is coming on and summer will be close behind.
And with that change of season nature brings on quite a show.
There are quite a number of migratory birds that make the Outer Banks their home. Some of them are quite large and can’t be missed. We already reported on the return of the osprey. But bald eagles are coming back as well, although not all of them left.
But there are hundreds of other birds, much smaller, harder to spot, that make the Outer Banks their summer home. Many of them are beautiful in their coloration.
The photo with this report is an indigo bunting. They’re not all that common on the Outer Banks, but they do stop by from time to time. This little fellow was photographed in Kitty Hawk Woods. They come north to breed, then head south to Mexico and Cuba for the winter.
Interesting fact about the indigo bunting—there’s no blue pigment in their feathers. The blue color comes from “…microscopic structures in the feathers that refract and reflect blue light…” according to the Cornell University All About Birds webpage.
The indigo bunting is not the only beautiful bird that show up in the summer. Look carefully in the branches and there may be a prothonotary warbler, an exquisitely yellow colored bird with an almost golden head. They make the 2000 mile trip from South America to breed in Outer Banks maritime forests.
There are also a couple of different kinds of flycatchers and an occasional northern parula. And that just barely begins the list of birds that make the Outer Banks their summer home.
The beauty of Outer Banks, NC is memorable. Be sure to plan your stay in a Brindley Beach Vacations from Corolla to Hatteras Island.