E is for Egret

Late one week in January, almost a year ago, I had this sudden urge to go to Corpus Christi for the weekend, to take some pictures. I set out early and headed to the bayfront. I had this idea in my mind that I wanted to take some photos of shrimping boats, perhaps something in the style of my grandfather's paintings. I didn't find much downtown, so I headed across the Harbor Bridge toward Portland. I took some pictures there, then headed on to Rockport. It was a meandering sort of journey, and I was a little disappointed that I hadn't found much so far on that cold, gray January morning.

Rockport was pretty quiet when I got there, but as I was driving past the docks, I noticed one shrimping boat coming in, swarmed by gulls and herons and egrets and pelicans. I found a place to park, then found a place to sit on the sea wall, from which I could photograph all the birds from very close-up with my long lens. One of the shrimpers was going through the catch for the day and tossing out junk fish to the birds, so they were very cooperative as I snapped their pictures. I took hundreds of shots out there.

There were two shrimpers on the boat, and when the younger had left, there was only the old man still there. I eventually worked up the courage to ask him whether I could walk out on the dock to take closer pictures of the birds, and he was happy to let me. He even brought me a chair to sit in as I shot.

He was a nice old man, but lonely. He told me all about his wife of 50 years, who had died several months before, and of his daughter, and of other photographers and biologists that he'd met. I think he enjoyed the company.

We made an odd pair, this wizened old shrimper and me. I brought my portfolio book from my trunk and showed him some of what I had shot. He thought my photos were great. To hear him talk about it -- to hear him talk about me -- you'd think I'd hung the stars.

I took some of the best pictures I've ever taken on that dock, and I'd like to go back someday to see if I can find that old shrimper again. I think he'd be pleased to see his boat immortalized so, to see birds in print. I think I'd like to show him.