Wings Over Water brings a WOW to the OBX
The Outer Banks is a birder’s paradise and for 20 years Wings Over Water has been introducing travelers from around the globe to the beauty and wonder of waterfowl on the sounds. Michelle Wagner’s article for My Outer Banks Home is evocative and fact filled.
“When Kenn Kaufman first visited the Outer Banks in 1973, he and a friend hitchhiked to get here, hoping to spot some rare birds that had been reported in the area. He was 19 at the time, but the trip marked the first of many this world-renowned bird expert and lifelong naturalist would make to these barrier islands.
“It was February and we were in the middle of a winter storm. I remember watching the birds react to the conditions,” says Kaufman, who is the originator and editor of the Kaufman Field Guides. “The birds were really abundant and I remember it made a big impression on me.
Kaufman’s first impression of the birds that gather and live on Outer Banks has lasted a lifetime. As he prepares to return this fall, he doesn’t hesitate to rank this region as one of the best birding areas in North America.
But although this area has always been a favorite spot for the winged set, without an idea that was first batted around the offices of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Outer Banks may never have gained the recognition it deserves as a prime destination for birders from all over the world.”
[box type=”bio”] Wings over Water celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, the beauty of the Outer Banks still bringing birders from around the world to our shores, My Outer Banks Home reports.[/box]