Summer Sounds

With the heat comes the sweet sounds of a southern summer in the mash. There is a low murmur of rustling grass as the warm winds blow across the tall grasses. During the day the cicadas sing from the pines and live oaks as ospreys shriek in the distance. In the evenings the crickets and frogs fill the heavy, muggy air from the shores of the shallow waters and owls call in the darkness. 

For the birders, these wetlands in southern Virginia Beach and northeastern North Carolina are a party and Monkey Island is the gift. It is a wading bird rookery located on a small island in Currituck Sound. Starting with mating rituals and nest building in April, the island is a constant hub of activity and unlimited photo opportunities. Some time in May the first eggs hatch and by June the population triples to what is estimated to over two thousand. By mid to late July, nearly all of the eggs have hatched and most chicks have fledged. As the heat of high summer settles in on the sound and the shallow water nears 90 degrees, the birds leave the now overcrowded little island for the bounty of the lush, expansive marshes of the Green Sea.

Schedule your ecotour to explore this environmental wonderland.