An avian art exhibition two years in the making

An exhibition of work by one of Scotland’s top wildlife artists, created over two years, is set to go on display.

Glen of the Lapwing by Keith Brockie will be on show from 1 September-3 October at the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, in Aberlady, East Lothian.

Keith has spent the past two years observing and painting the wildlife on a Perthshire estate. Unlike other shooting estates, the Glenquaich Estate has adopted a sympathetic approach that encourages a rich variety of wildlife to flourish.

Over two years, Keith worked in the field recording and sketching over 110 species of birds, with each season bringing its share of activity.

In the springtime the glen was alive with the sound of displaying waders such as curlews, redshanks, snipes and lapwings. The estate supports a large population of lapwings in particular, giving Keith the opportunity to observe and sketch different stages of their breeding cycle.

The extraordinary display of black grouse, or ‘Lek’, was another boon for Keith. The winter months brought a different kind of drama when Keith witnessed both golden and white-tailed eagles hunting mountain hares. Keith encountered many other species of birds including: black-throated diver, ring ouzel, whooper swan, stonechat and whinchat.

The paintings resulting from this patient fieldwork are on show at the Scottish Ornithologists ’Club. The paintings will also form the basis of a book based on this experience due to be published later in the autumn.

The exhibition is open daily, 10am to 4pm, at the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, in Waterston House, Aberlady.

The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club is Scotland’s national bird club with over 3000 members and a network of 15 branches across Scotland.