Quissett Harbor has wintering waterfowl, often at close range. Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, and Red-breasted Mergansers frequent the harbor, while Horned Grebes, Common Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, Common Loons, scoters, and Common Goldeneyes feed in the harbor as well as in Buzzards Bay off the Knob.

From the end of the Knob, check for Common, Roseate, and Least terns during the summer. Gansett Point offers up a regular group of Double-crested Cormorants and other sea ducks. The habitat bordering the small uninhabited tidal island just east of Gansett Point frequently hosts Snowy Egrets along with an occasional Great Egret, resident Ospreys, American Oystercatchers, Great Blue Herons, Black-Crowned Night Herons, Belted Kingfishers, and a variety of gulls and terns.

Quissett Harbor is one of Cape Cod’s most picturesque harbors. It sits in a mostly residential area overlooking Buzzards Bay.

The area contains valuable coastal and wetland resource areas. The coastal beaches, coastal dunes, and coastal banks play a crucial role in buffering inland property against the destructive forces of coastal storms. They also protect Quissett Harbor, without which the Harbor would not exist. The salt marshes and land under the ocean are components of a complex natural system important for maintaining marine productivity. These coastal wetlands are critically important natural resources and require protection and conservation for current and future generations.