From greedy seagulls stealing chips down at the harbour, to cheerful songbirds along the john Muir Way, Dunbar is home to a diverse array of birds.
Our feathered friends are a recurring theme here at Found with artists from all over the UK inspired by a huge variety of species and their environment. Only a few miles from the Scottish Seabird Centre, Dunbar attracts large number of twitchers and photographers. No surprise then that birds whether sculpted, painted or crafted birds are always a popular find at Found. Here’s a little peep at what you can spot in the gallery this summer.
Puffin
Fratercula arctica (Atlantic puffin)
Often called the ‘clown of the sea’ the puffin is an unmistakable seabird with a black back and white underparts, distinctive black head with large pale cheeks and brightly-coloured bill. The Isle of May in the Firth of Forth is home to the biggest colony on the East Coast of Britain.
Print by Rachel Marshall £60
Ceramics by Guy Holder £56
Card & Print by Joanna Martin £3/140
Gannet
Morus bassanus
Gannets are Britain’s largest seabird and Scotland is home to around 60% of Europe’s gannets. From February gannets return to the Bass Rock: numbers peak at over 150,000 making it the world's largest colony of Northern gannets. At sea they flap and then glide low over the water, often travelling in small groups. They feed by flying high and circling before plunging into the sea, at speeds of up to 60mph/ 96kmph.
A Company of Gannets Card by Lisa Hooper £2.50
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactyla
One of the best places to spot them is Dunbar Harbour! A gentle looking, medium-sized gull, kittiwakes have a small yellow bill, dark eye, grey back and white underneath: their little legs are short and black. In flight, the black wing-tips show no white, unlike other gulls, and look as if they have been 'dipped in ink'.
Acrylic on reclaimed board £70
Guillemot
Uria aalge
The UK’s coasts have many stretches of sheer cliffs where seabirds breed and the guillemot is one of the most prevalent birds in the great ‘seabird cities’. They land only to nest, spending the rest of the time life at sea. The egg is cone-shaped helping to prevent it rolling off the cliff!
Unframed Print by Joanna Martin £140
Ceramic by Guy Holder £70
Herrring Gull
Larus argentatus
Love them or loath them, herring gulls are widespread and can be seen in most seaside towns. They are large noisy gulls, and we have the pleasure of two chicks on our roof at the moment!
Card by Rachel Marshall £3
Ceramic Seagull by Joe Lawrence £40
Felted in England Birds £41 each
Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegus
Breeding on almost all Uk coasts the oystercatcher is a large, stocky, black and white wading bird. It has a long, orange-red bill and reddish-pink legs.
Framed Ltd edition print by Joanna Martin £180
Acrylic on reclaimed board by Steven Ferguson £85
And others…
Necklace by Helen Shere £89
Silver studs by Kate Wimbush £28
Print by Mary Claire Smith £95
Coal Tit Unframed Print by Benjamin Partridge £30
Mosaic by Helen Clues £16