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At Corolla



All,

I just returned from a four day surf fishing trip to Corolla, NC and points north to the Virginia line (marked by a fence you can't cross). Apart from truly wonderful fishing (we caught over 130 puppy drum, many black drum, and a really nice speckled trout), the wildlife watching was great as well. Large numbers of northern gannets were present each day, sometimes diving within a hundred yards or so of the beach. We also saw tons of surf scoters, tundra swans (over the ocean!), several flocks of green-winged teal (flying the beach at the surf line- why, I don't know), the usual gulls and terns, many pods of dolphins, a dead, beached loggerhead turtle, and a breaching hump-backed whale on Sunday morning. The best bird of the trip was an adult lesser black-backed gull on Tuesday, drawn to the fish bits we returned to the sea after filleting a handful of drum.

I spent a great deal of time in Currituck County about 20 years ago while working on my Ph.D.; I lived during the summers on Knott's Island with a college buddy who's dad oversaw a duck club. I can recall standing on the club wharf at night and looking east towards the Corolla light; then, there were very few lights on the banks beyond a tiny handful in the vicinity of the light. Now, much of the banks (apart from the bit contained within the Currituck NWR) are lined with very, very large, very expensive, beach "cottages." While the level of development on the northern Currituck Banks (and the rest of Currituck County, for that matter) is a bit alarming, this is still a relatively secluded place and a very fine spot to spend some time. The fishing and wildlife viewing will take me back! If you are going to visit the Banks area, you will need a 4X4; the paved road ends at Corolla and you must drive the beach the remaining 12 miles or so to the Virginia line.

On a different note: Five years ago, I put a screech owl box up on the side of large pine in my backyard. Since then, the box has been occupied, at various times, by successful great crested flycatchers, gray squirrels, amorous black rat snakes (three at one time- two males and a female), and unsuccessful starlings (I captured them and fed them to my corn snake, Willie Maize). After all this time, it appears that my screech owl box is finally occupied by a screech owl! My wife and kids have seen a gray phase bird loafing in the opening the last several days. Hopefully, it will take up permanent residence- or, at least, stick around long enough for me to see it!

Take care,

Clyde Sorenson
Clayton and Raleigh, NC