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Seabird Spectacular!

Seabird Spectacular!

Regular price £650.00
Regular price Sale price £650.00
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Original/print/digital

A painting celebrating British seabirds

  • An original painting in watercolour on 600gsm paper, size size 565 x 387mm
  • A2 size signed poster prints
  • Digital file for you to make a print at a format and size of your choice
  • I also have tea towels of this painting.

A spectacular and wonderful thing happens between April and August every year on the coasts of the British Isles. Hundreds of thousands of seabirds assemble to find their partner, mate, nest and raise their chicks. In my painting "Seabird Spectacular!", I have illustrated nine common species:

  • Northern gannet (Morus bassanus)
  • Shag (Gulosus aristotelis)
  • Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
  • Common Eider Somateria mollissima)
  • Guillemot (Uria aalge)
  • Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica)
  • Razorbill (Alca torda)
  • Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)
  • Northern Fulmar (Procellaria glacialis)
  • and a grey seal! (Halichoerus grypus)

My painting is not of one particular view at a particular time. It's a combined memory of numerous boat trips to seabird colonies around the British Isles over the years. The inspiration to paint this now came from a boat trip around Craigleith Island and to Bass Rock, just off North Berwick in June 2023. I've tried to illustrate some of the activity that fascinates me so much: birds on their nests, sitting on eggs, taking off, landing, bobbing about on the water, diving, and wheeling and whirring overhead. What I can't illustrate is the soundtrack - the raucous calling, the cries of the kittiwakes, the moans of the guillmots, the whirring of the wings. I can't illustrate the smell either. Thousands of birds produce a lot of guano!

If, like me, you love seabirds, I hope you like my painting

Seabirds live most of the year at sea, seeking out their food of small fish, including sand eels, but in the summer, they have no choice but to return to land to breed. Typically, they nest together in huge colonies of thousands of birds. Many species choose off-shore islands steep ledges, cliffs and rocky outcrops - places where they won't be disturbed by predators such as rats and foxes. Grey seals can often be seen lounging on the rocks at the foot of seabird colonies. They know it's safe, too, and the seals don't bother the birds.

But seabirds are in trouble. For most species, a pair can only raise one chick a year. A combination of warming seas, a lack of food, avian flu, and pollution are badly affecting their numbers. Read more in this article on RSPB website. So get out there and enjoy them while you can!

Take a trip see the seabird spectacular for yourself!

There are hundreds of options for short tourist boat trips from ports all around the UK. Really top class operators will give you a running commentary as you go, pointing out different species and explaining their behaviour. For many, advanced booking is essential.

• Head to west Wales and take a trip with Pembrokeshire Islands Boat Trips. They go to Skomer, Skokholm and Grassholm.
• Head to East Lothian, and visit Bass Rock and Craigleith Island. We like Sula's trips which go from North Berwick harbour.
• Take trip to the Isle of May from East Lothian, or Fife.
• Visit Dunbar Harbour and see the kittiwakes nesting on the ruins of the old castle. You can get very close and not disturb them.
• The Farne Islands, Northumbria, are a favourite place for many visitors.
• From Cornwall and the Scillies, there are too many boat trips to mention!

Want to find out more about British seabirds? I recommend a visit to the Scottish Seabird Centre, in North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland. And if you can't get there, they have webcams so you can watch them live from your desktop during the summer months.

Shipping and delivery

This website takes orders from UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

If you are not in these countries and you would like to make a purchase, please get in touch with me directly.

Posting your order

Typically, orders for physical products placed after 12pm on Friday, and on Saturday or Sunday will not be posted until Monday at the earliest. I use Royal Mail to dispatch your order.

If you have ordered multiple items, I will try to post everything together. Occasionally, this is not possible, in which case they will be dispatched in separate packages.

Digital files will typically be transferred to customers within 24 hours via email using WeTransfer, the file transfer website.

Buying an original painting? Please choose the tracked option!

UNITED KINGDOM (incl. Channel Islands, Isle of Man)

  • UK Royal Mail second class – 3 to 5 working days (can be longer at busy times of year)
  • UK Royal Mail tracked next day special delivery – next day by 1pm

If you choose a tracked delivery, I will be notified with your Royal Mail tracking number when your parcel has been dispatched.

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

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USA and CANADA
Royal Mail International Tracked service (7-14 days)

AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND
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EUROPE (Rep of Ireland, France, Germany and Denmark only)
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