Fall comes a little later to the Outer Banks then it does most places. The mountains of our state are already past their peak colors. The same for the rest of the northeast.
But here along the coast, where the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Currents meet, the foliage is just now entering its final stage before the leaves fall to the ground.
In some ways fall on the Outer Banks can be divided into to mini seasons. There’s early fall, that’s really not that much different than summer. Just a little cooler, but still good for a dive into the waters of the Atlantic which remain warm throughout September and into October.
And then there’s the real autumn, as the weather cools, and the migratory waterfowl return in the thousands to the sounds and estuaries of the Outer Banks.
On the beach, they’re casting for bluefish and trout and an occasional drum that comes closer to shore. On the piers the action has been picking up for some time.
There is no one day we can point to a say suddenly fall is here, but sometime after the second weekend of October, the leaves on the trees show their first sign of color. And by the end of the month, they are decked out in the full range of their autumn colors.
Among the branches the summer birds are gone, replaced by yellow-dumped warblers, perhaps the most common bird seen in the maritime forests of the shore in the fall.
It’s not quite the stormy season yet. That will begin in another two or three weeks when frontal systems crossing the continent come into conflict with the waters of the Atlantic and nor’easter form.
For experienced surfer, the storms creates some of the most challenging and best surfing of the year. For everyone else, it’s a great time to walk the beach.
Fall is magic on the Outer Banks. See for yourself how wonderful it is while staying in a Brindley Beach Vacations home. Browse Hatteras Vacation Rentals to book online and let us know why you’ll be visiting!