Holiday Beach Pond
209 Lakeview Dr., Rockport, TX 78382 (map below) Spring and Summer Species – Purple Gallinule, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Wood Stork Winter Species – Large assortment of ducks, Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, Green Heron, American Bittern, Belted Kingfisher, Vermillion Flycatcher. The Aransas Pathway’s Holiday Beach Venue is a great birding site but it also has alligators. The alligators are a great attraction for our out of town guests and residents alike. Alligators are predatory animals and can be dangerous. They should be left alone and do not feed them. Feeding them could harm the alligator and could put you in danger. Please keep what happened at Disney World in mind. That alligator was fed by people and when the Dad and Son stepped in the water the Alligator took the boy. We don’t want that.
Lamar Burton Wetlands Sanctuary
28.149858 -97.001094 (see map) partially Through a generous donation Aransas First is preserving and creating public access to 105 acres of wetlands in the critical Lamar Peninsula, the winter home of the endangered whooping cranes. It will have dirt or grass trails or open ground to walk on for visitors but parking area is ADA and is a great birding site We will formally open it with kiosks and signage after kiosks are built in May. We are waiting for whooping cranes to leave.
Bent Oaks Rookery Park
1902 E. Maple St, Rockport, TX 78382 or 1401 Broadway St, Rockport, TX 78382 (see map) Bent Oaks Rookery Park is a 8.856-acre piece of land located across from Little Bay, bordered by Broadway, Business Highway 35, and Maple Street, was purchased by the city in January 2016 for $2.995 million using tax and revenue certificates of obligation. A 14-space parking lot was installed about one month before Hurricane Harvey. The nearly nine-acre piece of property includes large windswept oaks and an active, federally protected Great Blue Heron and Great Egret rookery. The city bought the property to preserve the trees and rookery.
Goose Island State Park
202 S. Palmetto, Rockport, TX 78382 (see map) Spring Species – Grosbeaks, Warblers, Flycatchers, Painted and Indigo Bunting Winter Species – Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Eared Grebes, Gadwall, American Wigeon, American White Pelican, Cassin’s Sparrow and White-throated Sparrow.
The Big Tree
1622 Twelfth St., Rockport (Lamar), TX 78382 (see map) Species – In spring and fall migration, warblers and buntings can be found near the tree. In winter, sparrows and thrashers can be found in the edges of the woods and in the grasses behind the tree.
Cavasso Creek
28°13’06.2″N 96°59’15.8″W N Hwy 35 N., Rockport, TX 78382 (see map) Cavasso Creek North of Rockport on Hwy. 35 at the first bridge crossing a creek. There is a pull off on the south side of the bridge. Private property is on both sides of the road. Do not climb over fences. This is a brackish estuary marsh. Resident species – Clapper Rail and Seaside Sparrow Winter Species – Sora, Virginia Rail, Boat-tailed Grackle
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
6907 Hwy 35 N., Austwell, TX 77950 (see map) Aransas National Wildlife Refuge From Rockport, go north on Hwy 35. After crossing the Copano Bay Bridge, drive north for about 14 miles. Turn right on FM 774 and drive approximately 6 miles winding through the farm fields. Turn right again on FM 2040 and follow this road to the entrance. Winter home of endangered Whooping Crane Spring and Summer Species – Abundant spring migrants including warblers, vireos, grosbeaks and bunting. Swainson’s Warbler, Purple Gallinule, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Fall and Winter Species – Whooping Crane, Sandhill Crane, Couch’s Kingbird, White-tailed Kite, Redhead Resident Species – Clapper Rail, Seaside Sparrow, Black-crested Titmouse, White-tailed Hawk, Caracara, Pauraque.
Shell Ridge Road
2800 Shell Ridge Road, Rockport, TX 78382 (see map) 28°00’07.7″N 97°03’32.9″W Resident species – Black-necked Stilt, Willet, Mottled Duck, Reddish Egret, Black Skimmers, Reddish Egret Spring and Summer Species – Least Tern nest in the fenced area near the road Winter species – Lesser Scaup, large rafts of Redhead, Eared Grebe Shell Ridge Road Proceed south on Church Street past the Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary. Shell Ridge Rd is on the left at the bend in the road. This is private property on both sides of the road. Please stay on the road in your car.
Moore’s Pond
28°03’39.2″N 97°04’18.1″W 2520-2520 FM 1781, Rockport, TX 78382 (see map) Species – Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Neotropical Cormorant, Anhinga, Osprey, Pied-billed Grebe, White-tailed Hawk, occasionally Fulvous Whistling-Duck, and Great Kiskadee Moore’s Pond From FM 1069, turn onto FM 1781. Moore’s Pond is .3 on the left. Moore’s Pond This is a busy road. Be watchful of cars. Good Birding if the pond contains water Moore’s Pond From FM 1069, turn onto FM 1781. Moore’s Pond is .3 on the left. Moore’s Pond This is a busy road. Be watchful of cars. Good Birding if the pond contains water.
Rockport Harbor
320 Veterans Memorial Dr, Rockport, TX 78382 (see map) Winter Species – Common Loon, Redhead, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser Rockport Harbor is in downtown Rockport south of the beach park. This is a deep water harbor. The best birding is in winter. Occasionally, Pacific Loons have been found here.