#littlebay 2/2

Pelican Pier in Rockport Texas is a private pier along Fulton Beach Road that stretches out into Little Bay. It on the list of one of the best birding spots in Rockport Texas. For some reason the pier is a place where the pelicans that migrate to the area during the winter months love to hang out. It was named after its popularity with large flocks of brown and white pelicans who come here to rest and enjoy the beauty of Little Bay.

From majestic Brown and White Pelicans to regal Great Blue Herons or serene White Egrets, there's plenty of magnificent birds to spot plus an occasional dolphin sighting if you're lucky! With beautiful views of the bay, it is a great spot to just sit and enjoy the scenery.

Pelican Pier Rockport TX

During migration, you can spot them there resting or hunting for baitfish. Because of this, it’s also a perfect place for birdwatchers and an ideal location where you might be able to spot them there each year!

Here is where it is located on the map

Pelicans have been around for nearly thirty million years and are the most recognizable of all coastal birds.

American White Pelican

There are many differences between the American White Pelican and Brown Pelicans. Firstly, there is an obvious difference in color with white being more dominant than brown but this doesn’t stop them from standing out against their habitat much like snow does to a landscape. There are other smaller details that differ as well such as weight (16 lbs for white versus 15 lbs for brown) wingspan lengths of 108 inches or even six feet long at its longest point (for whites). That’s not all; one of the most noticeable things about these birds is what they eat! The ones who get it right on land enjoy eating fish while those living near water will snack on crabs and small crustaceans when possible instead.

The interesting thing about both types is seen here

Brown Pelican

The Pelican Pier at Connie Hagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Little Bay is one of the most popular birdwatching spots on Rockport’s scenic Texas Gulf Coast. Located off of Fulton Beach Road, the Pelican Pier offers a pristine view of this slice of Texas paradise and has proven to be a favorite spot for brown pelicans from all over. No matter which way the winds blow, they always find their way back there to rest and relax.

Connie Hagar observing a Pelican

Especially exciting to watch are Aransas County’s flocks of Brown pelicans. They can be found throughout our coastlines. With their population drastically decreasing, these birds almost disappeared from Texas because they were poisoned by DDT which caused them to lay thin-shelled eggs that would break during incubation. But now through conservation efforts like a ban on pesticides in 1972, this brown bird is making its comeback!

White Pelican Flocks in Rockport TX

Brown Pelicans of Aransas County

You will love Rockport’s Pelican Pier, which offers a spectacular view of the Gulf. We have other great landmarks for you to visit as well- be sure to check out our live camera feed from the beautiful Rockport Beach Park!

Check out the Latest Rockport Beach Live Stream – RockportFulton.com

Be sure to bookmark us at RockportFulton.com and also like us on Facebook (www.facebook./rockfortfulton) so that we can keep you up-to-date with all things happening in this coastal town.

Here are some additional links you may want to explore!

#Birdwatching #fultonbeachroad #littlebay #RockportTexas

Drone Photography of Key Allegro Island February 2021

Key Allegro Island is located in the beautiful city of Rockport, Texas, and is one of Aransas Counties most beautiful Canal front communities. The island was formerly known as Frandolig Point or "Nine Mile Point"

Frandolig Point was a triangular peninsula nine miles south of the northernmost part of Live Oak Peninsula that in 1962 became known as Key Allegro.

The Frandolig name came from the family who lived there from the 1870s through the early 1900s. Franz Joseph Frandolig (1816 – 1907) was born in Austro-Hungary at a time when nationalism was on the rise in Europe. When he was nineteen, he left Europe probably to avoid military service or to seek a better life in Texas. Hannah Sara Schwander was born in Switzerland in 1836. She entered the U.S. at New Orleans after a journey from Le Havre, France in 1852. Hannah and Franz married in 1854 in Victoria County.

Frandolig was known as a horse wrangler. He broke and sold horses to General Zachary Taylor for the Mexican War (1845-48). Records show that Franz claimed 160 acres on Papalote Creek in Bee County (1858-1868). He delivered cotton to Mexico during the Civil War and served in the military under General Bee in 1861.

Later he delivered cattle to the Cushman packery that was located on what became Frandolig Point/Key Allegro. When Cushman vacated the property in 1870s, Frandolig moved his family to that location. With his family, he ran a farm, salt works and boat yard. They had an extensive fig orchard as well as a vineyard from which they sold wine by the barrel. In 1903 Franz Frandolig sold the property and moved to Port Aransas where his wife died in April of that year. Franz died in 1907 at Tarpon (now Port Aransas). They had nine children. Descendants of the Frandoligs remain in the area.

Frandolig Island, or “happy isle”, was purchased in the 1870s. Frandolig sold the island in 1900 for $3,500. The island became a marshy overgrown natural habitat and was named “Nine Mile Point”.

As early as 1954, the Aransas County Navigation District had developed a long-range plan, which included Frandolig Island. A bond issue of $415,000 was passed by voters so that Fulton Harbor could be completed, improvements could be made to Rockport Harbor, an industrial harbor at the Cove south of Rockport (which became Cove Harbor) could be developed and facilities in the Little Bay area and on Frandolig Island could be addressed.

In 1955, the ACND considered leasing Frandolig Island to develop the island into a “family type resort” at the cost of approximately $5 million. This initial $5 million cost would be in addition to the leasing costs. At this time, Frandolig Island was the only natural sandy beach in this area. Future planned amenities included a dock for charter and pleasure boats, a golf course, skeet range, teenage yacht club, saltwater pool, and babysitters so that “vacation is painless”, Dad could fish; mom could rest; kids could be entertained.

In this plan, the Navigation District required that there be free public access to and use of the beaches along the island, retention by the District of a portion of the island frontage along Little Bay, work to begin within one year and completed within three years with a minimum expenditure of $3 million to develop a high type of recreation resort that would appeal to many groups. A docking facility for pleasure boats was also to be available.

By June 9, 1956, progress was being noted; dredging of Rockport Harbor had begun, a plan for Cove Harbor was being developed based on the terrain and Frandolig island was purchased by the ACND to protect their investment and prevent the island from falling into “other hands”. Frandolig island was to provide a fourth harbor costing the district nothing due to the planned leases being funded.

As we know now, this plan failed to be implemented, but another concept was on the horizon.

Today Key Allegro Island is a exclusive Texas paradise featuring some of the best homes in the area. The Island has both full time residents as well as fulltime vacation rental homes. The canals feature a deep water depth for larger boats and quick access to both little bay and Aransas Bay.

The Island featured a fully equipped Marina area as well as an aquatic center that was destroyed during Hurricane Harvey as well as a Bar and water side restaurant. Plans are currently in the works to rebuild the Marina, and Restaurant.

Damaged Key Allegro Marina

4th of July boat party off Key Allegro Island sandbar in Little Bay

If you would like to learn more about Key Allegro’s history please read our informative history page at History of Aransas County | Rockport Texas (rockportfulton.com)

or visit the History Center for Aransas County at the link below.

https://www.thehistorycenterforaransascounty.org/

The History Center for Aransas County features local archives of the area.

You can also visit the Key Allegro Home Owners Association for more information if you would like to relocate or vacation.

http://keyallegroisland.com/

Key Allegro Island Community Information Center

You can also visit the Key Allegro Real-Estate Company's website for more information on the Islands History.

https://www.keyallegro.com/

If you would like to learn more about Rockport Fulton and the Aransas County area be sure to like our page on Facebook at Facebook.com/RockportFulton or visit our front page at RockportFulton.com.

find out more about Key Allegro Island, please check out: RockportFulton.com

#ArialDronePhotography #littlebay #RockportTexas #aransasbay #Keyallegroisland #AransasCounty

Pelican Pier in Rockport, Texas

Here is where it is located on the map

American White Pelican

Brown Pelican

Key Allegro Island Featured