We would have been exsanguinated with our dessicated corpses drying in the sun if not for the bug dope. We were coming out of the forest into the marsh along Taylor Creek, and the mosquitoes were so thick Leece looked like she had smoke swirling around her. Mosquito repellent is an absolute necessity, the more DEET the better. You can still get some pretty good shots of them without running afoul of the rangers. There are strict rules about the horses they are not to be harassed or approached too closely. Unlike the horses on the Outer Banks islands - Shackleford, for example - the Rachel Carson horses are relatively new, derived from stock placed there by a local dentist in the 1940's. Nevertheless we got some good shots of the horses and some bird shots, too. On this last visit, we were pushed along by the impending arrival of Tropical Storm Andrea. You can see some of our 2012 photos here: Sadly, we just don't have that kind of time on our trips. We'd do better on the critters if we went over early and hunkered down in a hide or blind there are plenty of natural blinds in the trees and shrubbery. We have gotten some pretty good photos of flora and some fauna. Watch where you put your feet in the sandy areas within the forest. Some of the dune areas within the forested area have good populations of wildflowers, and also some rather vicious little cactus plants.
The trails meander through maritime forest, and out into the marshes toward Bird Shoal. We like to hike the trails, which are fairly well marked. The ride out is only a couple of hundred yards, across Taylor Creek. Boats and operators are Coast Guard-certified for passenger transport. The trip is by Carolina Skiff, a flat-bottomed jon-boat like craft well suited for running up on the beach. It's right across from the NC Maritime Museum. We get to the reserve via Outer Banks ferry service, at 328 Front Street in Beaufort. We make a point of visiting the Rachel Carson reserve each time we visit eastern NC.
0 kommentar(er)
