ROCKPORT'S BIRDING HOT SPOTS
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Little Bay and the Connie Hagar Wildlife Sanctuary
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Copano Bay State Causeway and Fishing Pier
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Rockport Beach Park and the Connie Hagar Wildlife Sanctuary... offers a look at many different water birds: nesting Black Skimmers, Least Terns, Reddish Egrets, Plovers, Roseate Spoonbills, Ruddy Turnstone, Mottled Ducks, Brown Pelicans, American Coots, Tri-colored Herons, Willets, Long Bill Curlews, and Clapper Rails. |
Water Street... located at the south end of Rockport has had Hooded Mergansers the last few years and is good for Great Blue Herons, White Wing Scoters, Reddish Egrets, Gulls, Terns, Marbled Godwits, and many other water birds. This year the first sighting reports of the Black-backed Gull was here, but was later spotted at several locations around town. |
Cape Valero... old timer birders new about this area long ago, but this area will eventually be lost to housing developments. Folks enjoyed the great birding and serene landscape that it has become a birder's retreat of sorts. Travel due west out of town to this birding area; you'll find Ibis, Geese, Reddish Egrets, Black-necked Stilts, Roseate Spoonbills, and Seaside Sparrows. |
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FM 1069... just passed Cape Valero (going south) are fields with Sandhill Cranes usually very close to the road. It is not unusual to see the big cranes leisurely feeding on the fertile land of grasses and grains. They are a sight you don't see everyday, that's for sure! |
Port Bay Road... off 1069 just 2 miles from Cape Valero is good for Little blue Heron, lesser Yellowlegs, Ross's Goose, Tri-color Heron, and Kingfisher. The area is especially primitive and ecologically natural and in some area simply breath-taking. |
FM 188... towards Sinton there is plenty of good "hawking" in open fields and marshes; during spring migration look over plowed fields for Upland Sandpipers and Mountain Plovers and don't forget to look behind a moving tractor for Franklin Gulls. |
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FM 1781... at Airport Road has a bountiful spring migration of Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbecks, Meadowlarks, Catbirds, Eastern Kingbirds, and Horned Larks |
Tin Can Point... located on the south end of the causeway...you can put away the telescopes during winter months and spot Goldeneyes, Scaups, and Scoters, Kildeers, Sandpipers, Turnstones, ducks, and Snowy Plovers. |
Newcomb Point... is on the west side of Hwy 35 Just north of the causeway - is where you'll find Clapper Rails, Seaside Sparrows, Plovers, and Sandpipers, however be cautious using this road in rainy weather. |
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Aransas National Wildlife Refuge... is noted, of course, for the winter home of the Whooping Cranes but has many species of birds including Wild Turkeys, and wildlife including alligators, deer, javalina, bobcats, coyote, and much more; walking or driving - the tour is great and be sure and stop at the Information Center for a map! |
Goose Island State Park... located on the north end of the Copano Bay State Causeway, this quiet and serene area is the perfect habitat for migratory passerines: Morning Doves, Eastern Wood Pewees, Mockingbirds, Roadrunners, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Purple Martins, and the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, and the Red and White-eyed Vireos. |
Port Aransas Birding Center... on Mustang Island is only 20 minutes away and a must stop before leaving the Coastal Bend area because of the sheer volume of birds that can be seen. Please contact the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce and ask them to mail their birding information packet to you! 1-800-45-COAST. Port Aransas boasts their excellent Birding Center facility. |
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Click here for MAP OF ARANSAS WOODS (Ray Little - Certified Naturalist, Professional Birder) MAPS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE ROCKPORT-FULTON AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VISITOR CENTER Click here for MAP OF ROCKPORT'S AREA BIRDING SPOT (Aransas Bird and Nature Club) |
Common Birds Found in Rockport Throughout the Year
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Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Tri-colored Heron Little Blue Heron Reddish Egret Cattle Egret Roseate Spoonbill Black Skimmer Brown Pelican White Pelican American Coot Double-crested Cormorant Neotropic Cormorant Osprey |
Long-billed Curlew Clapper Rail Green Heron American Oystercatcher Laughing Gull Herring Gull Ring-billed Gull Willet Avocets White Ibis White-faced Ibis Royal Tern Caspian Tern Least Tern Sandwich Tern |
Mottled Duck Black-crowned Night Heron Black-bellied Whistling Duck Pied-billed Grebe Spotted Sandpiper piping Plover Wilson's Plover Black-necked Stilt Killdeer Ruddy Turnstone Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Morning Dove Inca dove White-winged Dove |
Northern Mockingbird Northern Cardinal Tufted Titmouse Common Pauraque Carolina Wren Savannah Sparrow Red-tailed Hawk Northern Harrier Hawk Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Greater Roadrunner White-eyed Vireo Great Tailed Grackle
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Other favorite area birding spots for migration:
- Guadalupe Delta --by the river
- Aransas National Wildlife Refuge --especially Rail Trail and part of Heron Flats
- Goose Island State Park wooded camping area --birding walks Thursday through Saturday mornings at 7:30 a.m.
- Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary in Rockport--early morning and late afternoon
- Memorial Park in Rockport--early morning is best
- Paradise Pond and the Birding Center at Port Aransas--both on Cut-off Road
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Packery Channel AOC Sanctuary, Blucher Park, Polliwog Pond and Rosehill Cemetery
in Corpus Christi