Birding on the Outer Banks is legendary. Considered by many to be one of the top destinations on the East Coast for birdwatching, the Banks plays home to some 260 species of birds with constant sightings of rarities such as magnificent frigate birds, Bermuda storm petrels, and south polar skaus. The storm battered beaches of these barrier islands are even designated as Critical Habitat for the piping plover as this is the only place in the world where these birds’ breeding and wintering grounds overlap.
Jetting out off the coast of North Carolina nearly to the edge of the continental shelf where the warm tropical waters of the Gulf Stream mix with the cool arctic waters of the Labrador Current, the geography of the Outer Banks is like a magnet for birds traveling the Western Atlantic. Situated along the Atlantic Flyway, the Outer Banks plays wintering grounds for incalculable numbers of migratory birds while offering refuge for the hordes of pelagic species during storms year round. Overlapping the transition from temperate to subtropical climate zones, the barrier islands of the Outer Banks offers an unbelievable birding experience.
This expedition is geared towards getting you off of the beaten path and into those hard to reach places that so few birders and wildlife watchers ever manage to see along the Outer Banks. To do so, we will be traveling aboard a 24ft skiff designed specifically for navigating the shoal waters of the Outer Banks.
We will concentrate on four different types of habitats:
- Salt Marsh
- Dredge Spoil Islands
- Back Island Sandy Shoreline
- Tidal Flats
These are the areas that often hold the greatest numbers and diversity of birds along these barrier islands but have always remained unexplored by visiting birders due to the inaccessibility of these habitats. That is, until now!
Aboard his personal skiff, you will join renowned naturalist, writer, and wildlife photographer, Jared Lloyd on this education packed expedition for some of the best birding the Outer Banks has to offer!