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August 31, 2006
Evoke the Spirit of Nature - The Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition
With almost 500 paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings on display, the Society of Wildlife Artists forthcoming Annual Exhibition is the key place to view and buy the very cream of contemporary wildlife art by internationally renowned artists. The exhibition takes place at the Mall Galleries in central London (near Trafalgar Square) from 27th September to 8th October.
Redwings by Esther Tyson
"One of the many distinctive attributes of the SWLA is the number of excellent printmakers within our ranks. This year we are making a special effort to display the varied and diverse styles of original printmaking that evoke the spirit of the natural world'. says Andrew Stock, President of the Society."
Thus, this year's exhibition sees the inclusion of a dedicated print wall, providing a fantastic opportunity for visitors to purchase stunning, original works of art at affordable prices. Guest artist Colin See-Paynton RE will exhibit 6 of his beautifully designed and intricate wood engravings, whilst members have been encouraged to submit linocuts, etchings, mono-prints and screenprints, so it promises to be the most dynamic collection of wildlife prints to date.
Private View and Prize-giving
2 - 8pm. Tuesday 26th September 2006 - official opening by Ben Fogle 3pm The Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1
Open to the Public
Wednesday 27th September - Sunday 8th October 2006
The Mall Galleries, The Mall London SW1 (Near Trafalgar Square)
Open 10am-5pm daily, including weekends
Exhibition Admission Fee
£2.50 (£1.50 concessions)
Public Enquiries
Tel: 020 7930 6844, info@mallgalleries.com, www.mallgalleries.org.uk, www.swla.co.uk
Press and Media Enquiries
For more information or images, please contact the Mall Galleries Press Office on tel: 020 7930 6844 or email press@mallgalleries.com
About the SWLA: Founded in 1962 the SWLA is a registered charity to foster and encourage all forms of wildlife art. For more information, visit www.swla.co.uk
Posted by Surfbirds at 09:23 PM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2006
Ton-up for White-tailed Eagles in Denmark
From the Copenhagen Post - 15 August 2006
Congratulations, it's an eaglet!
The nation's population of eagles is on its way to re-establishing itself after being absent for over a century.
Ornithologists are hopeful that the white-tailed sea eagle's return to Denmark has been cemented after the raptors have their best breeding season since its return to the country.
Eagles and other birds of prey had been absent from Denmark since the beginning of the 20th century, due to over hunting and habitat encroachment.
The first white-tailed sea eagles, northern Europe's largest raptor, returned in 1995, and in 1996, the country could claim its first breeding pair. Since then, some 112 eaglets have been successfully reared in the wild.
Ornithologists report that this summer has been the white-tailed sea eagle's best breeding season since its return, with 11 of the 16 nesting pairs giving birth to 24 eaglets in all.
'It's been a nice surprise to see how fertile Denmark's white-tailed sea eagles are,' said Lennart Pedersen, the head of the Danish Ornithological Society's Project Eagle. 'We think it is realistic to believe that within a few decades, we could see as many as 75 mating pairs. Geographically, there's room for probably as many as 150.'
The society began Project Eagle as a way to protect and gather information about the eagle after it began to return to Denmark from Germany and Sweden.
The group has already learned a number of new things about the eagle's settling patterns.
'It appears that eagles can establish themselves when they are as young as four. That's earlier than we previously believed,' Pedersen said.
Currently, the majority of the eagles nest in south-eastern Denmark. Migration patterns mean that the region will continue to house the largest population of eagles, but Pedersen expects them to become a common sight throughout the country.
Even Copenhagen residents could be welcoming the eagle as their neighbour in the near future.
'One of the 16 pairs of white-tailed sea eagles occupy territory only 30 km from the capital.'
The Copenhagen Post
Posted by Surfbirds at 05:41 AM | Comments (0)
Well known birder Richard Millington joins BOURC
This summer sees several changes to the membership of BOURC.
Bob McGowan (National Museums of Scotland) replaces Eric Meek as an elected member of BOU Council and Chairman of BOURC, and Chris Kehoe (Northumberland) and Richard Millington (Norfolk) replace Bob McGowan and Grahame Walbridge as ordinary members.
Steve Dudley, BOU spokesperson, commented ‘With these three appointments BOURC maintains its high standards of membership. Bob McGowan has established himself as a key member of the Committee in recent years bringing with him his immense experience of museum bird collections and knowledge of historical literature. His appointment to Chairman reflects the high regard with which BOURC members hold him.
‘Chris Kehoe is the secretary of British Birds Rarities Committee’s (BBRC) ‘RIACT’ team, and has been on the fringes of BOURC for some time working as a co-author of the new edition of The British List (Ibis 148: 526-563). Chris has already proved himself as a detailed analyst and researcher of bird records and he will have much to contribute to the Committee’s work.
‘Richard Millington is one of Britain’s best-known and high profile birders. He has authored many identification and taxonomic articles, is Assistant Editor and co-founder of Birding World and the Bird Information Service. His field expertise and wide knowledge base will be an asset to the Committee.
‘The BOU is very grateful to the outgoing members Eric Meek and Grahame Walbridge. Eric chaired the Committee faultlessly over the last four years and his commitment to the work of the Committee was outstanding with frequent trips required from his Orkney home, and Grahame’s energy and enthusiasm will be missed.’
Posted by Surfbirds at 05:34 AM | Comments (0)