THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 28, 1994 TAG: 9412240105
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Coastal Journal
SOURCE: Mary Reid Barrow
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
A pair of tundra swan glided together in unison across North Pond at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on Hatteras Island the weekend before Christmas.
As though they were in a choreographed dance, the swan synchronized their every move. This effortless pas de deux continued until the pair swam out of sight across the pond.
Meanwhile nearby, one of their cohorts looked as though it came from the circus and not the ballet. This clown spent most of its time upended in the water, feet and tail sticking straight up in the air, feeding in the food-rich mud of the Pea Island pond. Each time the swan righted for air, its neck and head emerged a dark, mud-soaked gray.
Then a flock of five of the long-necked swan flew overhead. Their rich bugling calls were as close as I had ever heard them.
These white swan with their black bills are the Grace Kellys of the swan world while the domestic swan is more like Marilyn Monroe. Tundra swan don't arch their necks like domestic swan, but hold them straight and proud. Their feathering is sleek and regal compared to the domestic swans' ruffled, permed look.
Those weekend tundra swan weren't the only special sight at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Ducks of all description, from tiny pied-billed grebes to mergansers, wigeons, coots and several other species, swam among the swan. The only disappointment was the lack of snow geese, which have not yet arrived in any numbers at most refuges in this area.
Wading birds appeared to have taken over one corner of North Pond. Several egrets fed on the edge while an immature white ibis still with mottled coloring, lurked among the grasses behind. Its long thick, down curved bill is a distinct characteristic and so, I assume, is its harsh coughing call, which I had never heard before that day.
I later learned that a white ``egret'' off to itself in the corner of the pond was really a great blue heron in its white phase. The bird caught our attention. It looked just a little more grand than the others, not only because of its size but also because of its thicker, more handsome bill. These ``white herons'' are usually not found outside their Florida/Caribbean habitat.
I got this revelation from volunteers at the refuge's new visitor center. The visitor center is on North Carolina Route 12, not too far south of the Oregon Inlet bridge. A parking lot with restrooms is adjacent, and that's where we parked to walk on a half-mile nature trail along the edge of North Pond. Observation platforms with scopes, benches and some identification labels add to the experience.
A trail continues along a road around all of North Pond but there are no amenities for the rest of the 4 mile path that takes you in a loop back to the parking lot. You also can re-trace your steps back to your car, which we did and never stopped looking the whole way.
Pea Island Refuge encompasses the northernmost 13 miles of Hatteras Island and falls within the boundaries of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The land area is 5,915 acres, and 25,700 acres of Pamlico Sound also are part of the refuge.
Just driving along Route 12, which bisects the land portion of the refuge, is an experience. Waterfowl can be seen in ponds that sometimes appear to come close to lapping up on the side of the road. Pamlico Sound often seems just a stone's throw away, too.
Volunteers at the visitors center are hoping to staff the center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. But if it is closed, there is a ``sightings'' record out on the porch along with brochures and other information. Call the refuge office at 919-987-2394.
If you are missing your walks to see waterfowl at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge since it closed to the public last fall, take a day over the weekend and drive to Pea Island.
You won't be disappointed. In fact, you will probably see more waterfowl at Pea Island than you would ever dream of seeing at Back Bay.
P.S. LEARN ABOUT 17TH CENTURY CURES for holiday excesses at ``Sweet Indulgences: Life After the Holidays'' at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Adam Thoroughgood House. The fee is $2. Call 664-6283 for information.
A HUMMINGBIRD has been hanging around and feeding on the salvia that is still blooming in Barbara Jackson's Bay Colony yard. What's the latest you've seen hummingbirds in the area? MEMO: What unusual nature have you seen this week? And what do you know about
Tidewater traditions and lore? Call me on INFOLINE, 640-5555. Enter
category 2290. Or, send a computer message to my Internet address:
mbarrow(AT)infi.net.
ILLUSTRATION: Photos by MARY REID BARROW
A pair of tundra swans cross a pond Pea Island National Wildlife
Refuge.
A white ``egret'' feeding by itself is really a great blue heron in
its white phase.
by CNB