Corpusfishing.com

[Towboat Trash]

The gravelly voice on the other end of the line was unmistakeably none other than Billy calling me back. "COLIN, I am just returning YOUR CALL! What is it you want, I'm outside working on the truck?" Knowing full well I was on the investigative hook for missing Louis Rawalt items from Billy's library, and knowing just as well that blaming it on another innocent victim like Senior J was out of the question as he is pretty smart and would know who perpetrated said blame, I quickly changed the subject. "Billy, have you ever seen a Northern Gannet on the beach before?" I uttered. "A Northern Gannet?! Well, Colin, of course I have! HUNDREDS OF THEM!" My not well thought out reply..."Hundreds on the beach?" And then my answer..."No Colin! They live OFFSHORE! Not on the beach! Don't you remember the picture I showed you?! Well, do you??" For the life of me I couldn't. And then I remembered. "Yes! I sure do! You held the National Geographic book to him and showed him what he was!" And inside, I laughed at the memory of that photo, of that humor, and was thankful. "I've only ever seen three on the beach, Colin, that's it."

Captain Billy Sandifer, guide for 21 years on the Padre Island National Seashore-showing the "Bird Bible" to a Northern Gannet, showing him that he's a gannet.



Ahh, the life of a sailor. Laying around in one's drawers all day, cranking Ozzy and Hank Jr. so loud the rafters quake, planning quite ridiculous offshore zodiac excursions....off time off time off time.

Oh snapper, where art thou?




The battlewagon rides again!!


And I don't think I've ever been so cold in that wetsuit in my life. Wade gut? FREEZING!


And no better two miles out.


To da pomp holes!!!!


Got some snacks for your hiny's...


Waiting for fish....


But soon enough, a most important trip would drag me back into the real world away from odd attempts to freeze to death in a cold wetsuit. Charter with the new 2018 Artist in Residence for the Seashore, none other than the great, the inimitable, the never duplicated but often imitated, world traveler, Sue Wolfe! She has been to over 57 countries, and her knowledge of photography absolutely boggles my weak mind. https://www.where-2-next.com/

Not only would this trip be AWESOME, but her mission is to document Padre for the next year throughout all of its wild, wooly, cantankerous, ever changing seasons! Completely nerdy and adventuresome greatness! No one gives a @#$# about no stupid fish, we going on rattlesnake avoidance missions!




I can't wait to see her pictures! They are going to be simply amazing! She had the ENTIRE back of my truck filled up with cameras and lenses!!!


And even better, wherever my crazy butt leads, she says she's following! Snake chaps DEPLOYED!




To the backside we went.




And I watched her do her thing, what a treat it was!


A woman after my own heart, I never realized I'm not alone in wanting to document and photograph the things we see and love.






I took her to a ton of my spots.


And showed her the miles and miles of burnt island thanks to yet another batch of googans who can't "get right."








Ain't nobody worried 'bout no fish or no cold behind wetsuits this day!!












And on our way off after a day of hiking and making stops....there was none other than a Northern Gannet!


What is YOUR bootie doing here!!!!?




A super offshore deep sea bird that hangs with frigatebirds and the like!! Awesome!








So cool!






And he would hop a time or two but not fly. Not sure what was the deal, we agreed to give the A.R.K. a call once we got to the Visitor's Center.












After a few more photos, in true Saturday "Everhart Rd. Hero" fashion, some clown in no less than lifted Dodge headed northbound with no fishing gear almost ran Sue over while she took photos rather than just take the low road. In fact, after he realized she was taking photos with a massive camera and lens, he swerved to the right and almost ran over the hurt Northern Gannet. And it was yet another one of those times when I fantasized again about the "PINS orientation class" that basically involves half these fools not being allowed to even put a tire on that beach unless they can get right, i.e. no more burning down half the Island or running over injured birds or even other humans.


I'm told we get injured Gannets every winter, suffering from a prion disease that affects their brains. And I won't lie, it hurts to know that's how nature goes.


And I guess I don't understand how we can love animals so much but other humans, not so much all the time. But ya know, they don't make conscious choices to hurt others, run them down in a full size truck, etc. If they kill or maim or injure another animal, well it's about survival or just how they were made-part of a master plan of the right balances of the living and the dying and the dead. Us? We make choices every day that are quite intentional. The gannet? Over at the Animal Rehabilitation Keep in Port Aransas, God bless 'em. Ya'll be safe and take care, just wanted to share a few pics, fingers crossed for our deep-sea bird friend.

-Colin
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Protect Padre at all costs for future generations to use and enjoy and never forget our freedoms aren't free.

www.padreislandexpeditions.com

[Donnie]

Thanks for a great story about her and her work.
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Don - permanent prescription of salt water therapy.

[Central Scrutinizer]

Great story! Only seen a handful of gannets from the beach, usually way out over the water. Unmistakable profile in flight. Like a Concorde, only at both ends!

Tough part about the sickness..... It's Hard, But it's Fair.

[Tyler]

Wonderful story Colin!
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Like Corpusfishing.com on Facebook!

[shallowsport]

Angler, Photographer, Writer....you've got all the bases covered.
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"I do hunt and I do fish and I do not apologize to anyone that I hunt and fish." - Norman Schwarzkopf

[Rebecca of Sunnybrookfarm]

best not be throwing anyone under the bus....especially when they have an alibi by being in west texas...

nice gannet...
becky
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[saltyhook]

Colin your reports and stories are always a joy . A collaboration with Sue' can only deepen your photo skills and she will benefit from your in depth knowledge of the island . I have been biting my tong for some time on the serious subject you bring up about the "GOOGANS and ROAD HERO CLOWNS" ! I am in shock and horror at the volume of traffic on the beach these days, and the worst part of that is the dangerous and uncaring attitude shown by to many of these drivers. These days the beach is so narrow and vehicles are forced too pass close to each other and way to many come by camps at VERY high speeds. I think most of us come to the beach not only for the fishing but to get away from the stress of our crowded city streets. Please slow down folks, lets don't loose access to our island ...
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Fishing is not a matter of life or death it is much more important then that !
Saltyhook

[The Trash Heap]

First I've heard of the specific cause for gannets showing up sick on the beach. Used to have a few juveniles show up about this time every year.

We picked up a few oiled juvies when the Ixtoc spill drifted into our area. They have serrated edges on their beaks, earning tetanus shots for me and another who dealt with them. The other caretaker, whose name I've forgotten, was a gopher choker (Animal Control Officer) who took them into her home during their recovery. They seemed to enjoy following her around like puppies, waiting to be fed finger mullet and giving everyone goofy looks over their droopy bills. She got her tetanus shot one day as a result of making 2 mistakes: (1) she didn't have enough mullet to go around at feeding time, and (2) she was wearing open-toed sandals. The one which was short-changed mistook one of her toes for a fish.
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The Trash Heap Has Spoken!
NNYYAAAHH!!!

[Towboat Trash]