The city of Rockport bought this valuable piece of real estate in 2016 to protect a heron-egret-roseate spoonbill rookery (breeding colony). The property’s prime waterfront location, looking out over Little Bay, meant the roughly 9-acre site cost a pretty penny, just shy of $3 million. For the birds who rely on the safety of this oak motte to raise their young, it is priceless. The site is especially crucial after 2017’s Hurricane Harvey destroyed many other nearby nesting locations.

Bent Oak Rookery is bustling right now as the large birds are busily constructing and caring for nests. Finding just the right stick is a very serious matter.