Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Landscape Photography Locations => Topic started by: Stan Bax on April 22, 2016, 01:00:52 am
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Will be going on a 10 day trip starting May 17th to North Carolina (Durham, NC) 8) and will probably have time for two 2/3 day photo trips. I am mostly interested in birds including BIF, and wildlife, but may also want to take a few landscape and historical buildings pics.
I am considering one trip to the coast and a trip to the mountains.
I'm looking for any interesting suggestions (especially from locals :) ) on trips and places where you think I could/should go?
Stan
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Will be going on a 10 day trip starting May 17th to North Carolina (Durham, NC) 8) and will probably have time for two 2/3 day photo trips. I am mostly interested in birds including BIF, and wildlife, but may also want to take a few landscape and historical buildings pics.
I am considering one trip to the coast and a trip to the mountains.
I'm looking for any interesting suggestions (especially from locals :) ) on trips and places where you think I could/should go?
Stan
I have lived in NC for 30 years. There are certainly many photo opportunities here, but they are not concentrated - you have to be patient and look around, not like (say) Bryce Canyon where you can spend all day in one location and take 1000 photos!
I am not much of a birds-in-flight photographer, but in Durham there are the Duke University Gardens which has a large pond populated with various waterbirds. The population varies and I have not been there this year, but aside from the usual geese and mallards you might see heron, wood ducks, Mandarin ducks, mergansers, and a few others.
Also in Durham, Sandy Creek park is a favorite of birders. It has several ponds but you never know what you'll see. Sometimes they are bare of birds, other times you see all sorts of things. Plus a good selection of songbirds.
Downtown Durham has some historical buildings made of brick, tobacco factories left over from the past. The area has been pretty well gentrified but you can still find interesting architectural details.
The coast has endless possibilities. I know best the area of Morehead City/Beaufort so if you decide to go there let me know and I can give you some more details. Beaufort has a lot of historical homes.
Between Durham and the coast is the Mattamuskeet wildlife refuge, a large area with many lakes that is a major migration waypoint.
I know basically nothing about the mountains.
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Many Thanks Peter ! Reply especially appreciated coming from a long time respected LuLa member 8)
Will do some more planning and get back to you on Morehead City/Beaufort - may be base for a trip !
Regards Stan
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I live in Asheville. If you have several days to visit the mountains from Durham, I would suggest you pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway, probably where is crosses I-77 just over the VA line, and follow it south as far you like. All the way to the Great Smokies if you have the time. Linville Falls and the gorge there may be you best bet for some photo ops. Don't miss Mount Mitchell closer to Asheville.
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Many thanks ! Will check this out.....
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The coast of North Carolina is a terrific birding destination, there are some interesting hot spots even as late as mid-May. Check out Pea Island NWR, the Cape Hatteras light house national seashore area, and the Bodie Island lighthouse (both places have good habitat). Lake Mattamuskeet has a Little Egret at the moment, very rare for NC. There are tons of neotropical migrants coming through everywhere right now, both at the coast, and in the Triangle area, and especially in the mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a great suggestion, I would add to make a reservation at the Pisgah Inn for mid week, it's a motel right on the parkway near Asheville, with a lot of nearby birding opportunities and a good restaurant.
You could subscribe to the Carolina Birds email list (https://lists.duke.edu/sympa/info/carolinabirds) for the next two weeks, and also check out the NC birding trail (http://ncbirdingtrail.org/) for more info.
Hope you enjoy the trip.
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Thanks for the excellent advice, have subscribed :)