Monkey Island

On a clear and calm Saturday morning at the beginning of May, my friend and I launched the inflatable boat into Whalehead Bay near Corolla, North Carolina. Two small children were paddling two small kayaks around the launching area under the watchful eye of their mother.

"I'm ready for adventure!" called out the boy who was 8 or 9 years old to his little sister as they cautiously ventured toward a half dozen or so Canada geese who were dabbling in the shallow water nearby.

We left the dock behind and ventured into Currituck sound, ready, if not for adventure, at least for a pleasant morning on the water. Soon, Monkey Island appeared on the horizon, and we decided to make the trip.

Monkey Island

Monkey Island is an uninhabited island owned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. The island hosts a large colony of wading birds. Even from a distance hundreds of birds were visible

From a distance, hundreds of birds were visible in the trees

There are several species of birds on the island, including Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Tri-colored (Louisiana) Herons, Glossy Ibis, and White Ibis. The vast majority of birds we saw on the island that day were egrets.

An egret rookery

Access to the island is restricted, so photography is difficult. These pictures were taken with a long lens from near the shore, and are often at or near 100% crop. But it was hard to pass up the opportunity to see and hear and photograph so many birds in one place. Adventure enough for one day

Tomorrow: a bit of Monkey Island History.