Oh dear! Sale of paintings by Archibald Thorburn flopped at this afternoon's auction in London

                                                       

Tengmalm's Owl and Little Owl - only Thorburn painting that sold 

OUT of six original paintings by Archibald Thorburn, only one sold at a Sotheby's auction in London this afternoon.

This was his study of a Tengmalm's Owl and a Little Owl which sold for £7,680 including the buyer's premium.

The other five all attracted bids but not sufficiently high to reach their reserve prices, so they went unsold

Why the flop?

In recent months, there has been a glut of  Thorburn paintings on the market, and the pre-sale estimates always looked overly optimistic.

It is not known if the paintings will be included in a future sale  or if Sotheby's and the vendors might be open to post-auction offers.

                                                                     

Woodcocks at nest - estimate £10,000-15,000

Hen Harrier pair - estimate £6,000-8,000

Grey Partridges on sandy bank - estimate £12,000-18,000

Woodcock alighting with young - estimate £6,000-8,000

    

Black Grouse - estimate £12,000-18,000

Birders on alert in Australia as first cases of deadly avian influenza confirmed in two migratory pelagic species

Brown Skua: photo Liam Quinn via Wikimedia Commons

                                    

UP until late last month , Australia's birds had been spared the H5N1 strain of avian influenza that has caused so much devastation to wildlife in Britain and elsewhere since 2021.

But on June 22, a case was confirmed in a Brown Skua found on a beach on Western Australia's southern coastline.

Two days later, not far away, the same fate fate befell a Giant Petrel.

Both have since died.

There are fears that other birds - seen in a sickly state of health - may also have contracted the disease.

Scientists and poultry farmers are now on high alert amid worries not just for Australia's bird population but for all that in Antarctica.                                 

Giant Petrel: photo Jerzy Strzelecki via Wikimedia Commons

It's not a Scottish species so how did flock of Egyptian Geese find their way into new movie?

Peter Mullan stars as a melancholy man with a fixation on the past

THE Egyptian Goose is a scarce bird in Scotland, usually only seen singly or in pairs, so it is a surprise when a whole flock of them feature prominently towards The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford  currently on release in British cinemas.

According to the movie, the species was introduced north of the border in the 18th Century by Sir Douglas Weatherford, an eminent explorer, collector of exotic birds, philosopher  and surgeon with a special interest in mental illness.

In ancient Egypt, the strange-looking goose was venerated such that it frequently appears in the art of that period.

And it is, maybe, because of this  almost mythical reputation that the birds achieve a starring role near the end of this absorbing film.

Trouble is Sir Douglas is an entirely fictional character.

Another anomaly in this dark comedy, directed by Sean Dunn, is that the species is referred to not as Egyptian Goose but as "Marshbird".

No matter, it is a most entertaining film with a cast headed by the always excellent  Peter Mullan.

Amid the delightfully scenic Scottish setting, birder-moviegoers will also detect the sound of a Cuckoo and glimpse  a Scarlet Ibis (albeit a stuffed museum piece) and a painting depicting a male Golden Oriole.

Egyptian Goose - species has part to play in new film 

                                                      

                         

Tiny bird of Cairngorms mountain range helps spark bidding frenzy at Sotheby's art auction

                                                         

Landseer's Snow Bunting is a male adult displaying  

IT seems a lot of money to pay for a painting of a Snow Bunting, but it was not until bids had reached £5.946-million that the hammer fell at a Sotheby's auction this evening.

That was spectacularly higher than the pre-sale estimate of between £3-million and £4-million  for the work by  Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-73). 

Admittedly, the bunting was support actor to the Red Deer, but small is beautiful.

The Snow Bunting is mostly an uncommon autumn and winter visitor to Britain's coast, but today, as in Landseer's time, there is a small all-year breeding colony in the Scottish Highlands' Cairngorms range.                                        

 Red Deer, Mountain Hare, Golden Eagle in flight - and diminutive Snow Bunting  perched (left) on a rock

Autumn arrival - this Snow Bunting was detected at Filey in Yorkshire one morning in October last year

All eyes on Landseer's magnificent stag - but note, too, there is a Golden Eagle in flight with its prey

                                                     

The Red Deer, the Mountain Hare, the Golden Eagle - and what's that bird perched (left) on a rock?

AUCTION house Sotheby's have high hopes for this painting by Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-73). 

It reckons Scene in Braemar - Highland Deer will fetch between £3-million and £4-million  when it goes under the hammer in London on Wednesday July 1.

The artist is better known for his sister painting, Monarch of The Glen, which hangs in the Scottish National Museum  in Edinburgh, but this one has comparable power.

The catalogue note states:  "Thick-maned and massive of body, the stag is a  grizzled warrior, his immense brow points declaring his power.

"In the left foreground, a mature hind nestles in the sparse heather at his feet, whilst to the right a mountain hare has emerged from its burrow among the rocks -  a feature which suggested to at least one contemporary reviewer a scene from Aesop’s Fables. 

"Behind, another hind and a young stag, with their backs to the viewer, gaze up at a Golden Eagle carrying prey in its talons. 

"Some unknown presence has disturbed the creatures' restful tranquillity, and the scene is one of momentary tension and alertness."                              

The mystery bird - could it be a male Snow Bunting in breeding plumage?

Former assistant warden at Fair Isle bird observatory and Birdgirl author among those lined up for Islay festival

TWO birders are among the luminaries whose names are on the programme for the 2026 Islay Book Festival.

They are Mya-Rose Craig whose book, Birdgirl, published in 2023, won plenty of plaudits for its thoughtful and often touching exploration of birdwatching, conservation, racism and her mother's struggles with a debilitating illness.

As well as giving a talk, Mya-Rose will also be leading a family nature-watching event at Loch Gruinart.

The other frontline birder is Peter Roberts who has been an enthusiast since childhood in London, but after travelling 110 countries of the world, is now settled on Islay.

His career has included spells as assistant warden at Fair Isle bird observatory and as warden of Bardsey bird observatory, plus a year managing the Aldabra Research Station in the Indian Ocean.

He has an MSc in woodland invertebrate ecology and has published research on various subjects including the feeding ecology of fruit bats, bird migration and the ecology of seabirds and  Choughs.

In recent months. he has been putting the finishing touches to a  book on the birds of Islay and Jura though it is not known if this will be published in time for the book festival.

In November, he will be leading the latest of his many birding  tours to one of his favourite countries, Tanzania.                                                              

Mya-Rose Craig - author of Birdgirl

                                                      

Peter Roberts - Islay is where he has made his home

"The most intense moment of a twitch is when the bird is both there and not there." Discuss

                                                 

Mya-Rose has fascinating story to tell about her challenging childhood

AN unwritten rule among birders is that you should "always try to share your sightings".

So says Mya-Rose Craig in her fascinating book, Birdgirl.

Another of her observations - which requires more reflection from the reader - is that "the most intense moment of a twitch is when the bird is both there and not there."

And she further notes: "The harder you work for the bird, the greater your reward and the sweeter the pleasure."

Mya-Rose is one of  the most interesting of the new generation of birders.

As a child, she was encouraged by her parents - both keen birders.

Even before completing her schooldays in Bristol, she had visited no fewer than 40 countries across seven continents and seen more than 5,000 of the world's species. 

Her book recalls some of her most memorable experiences to date, not least of them watching a  Green-breasted Pitta deep in a Ugandan rain forest.

She writes: "Watching a small bird sing and dance its heart out, my own heart felt like it was exploding.

"Such a display of extraordinary beauty made tears prick my eyes. 

"There wasn't anywhere else on earth I'd rather have been than here in the clearing, watching this little bird call for a mate."

Even if were book dedicated solely to matters ornithological, Birdgirl would be a compelling read. 

But is is given added texture by other elements, for instance her disquiet at  the lack (at least in the UK) of racial diversity within  birding circles.

As the daughter of a White father and a Bangladeshi mother, she laments the casual racism and Islamophobia that she regularly used to encounter at school.

Also threaded into her narrative - with extraordinary frankness - is the challenges she and her father faced  as a result of her  mother's unpredictable bipolar behaviour which  variously sparked night-terrors, depression and mania.

Despite many fabulous moments, life has clearly often been difficult for the author.

As she ruefully concludes: "I have not enjoyed an easy migration into adulthood."

Birdgirl is published in paperback (£10.99) by Vintage/ Penguin.