This beautiful psychedelic Hen Harrier was drawn by Sue Brewer who writes:
‘I’m a writer, most of my books are on collectables or are novels, but I’m intending shortly to bring out a natural history themed book. I am very interested in the natural world – as a toddler I used to collect caterpillars, hunt spiders and play with woodlice. (I still do….) My other love is drawing and painting; I studied art many years ago, and at the moment am experimenting with bright colour. I’ve produced several animal and bird pictures recently, and decided to draw a hen harrier as I’ve been following the campaign right from the start. They are beautiful birds, but I wondered if perhaps, just once, they might like to change their grey or brown plumage for something really out of this world. I bet if they really were brilliantly coloured like this, the whole nation would be up in arms if the birds were killed or harassed!‘
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One of the most colourfull birds in Britain is the Jay but that does not stop being shot to pieces by the shooting mob. Like wise the public are not up in arms against this bird being shot. It is one of the most important birds in Britain due to its effects on oak woods as it carries the acorns well away from the parent trees and helps produce new oak woodland with out the need for planting or plastic tubes littering the countryside.
On a natural history book hopefully you have the knowledge and not like most just copy some one elses work. Hopefully not a ‘Bright eyes’ [a book on Myximotosis!] or ‘animals of farting wood’ making the public even more full of ….. [make up your own word!]
Hello John,
I’d just like to point out I’m a published author and writer who never ‘copies someone else’s work.’ That would be an affront to me, as I would always know that it wasn’t my own composition, and would get no pleasure from the work. I like originality, as, obviously, so do you. My natural history book will be a collection of folk words, something that I have been compiling for around twelve years, all relating to the countryside, together with my own observations.
Incidentally, I love jays too and they regularly come to feed in my garden, However, as I can’t usually supply acorns I’m afraid they are fed on peanuts in their shells, which might mean that in a few years, peanut plantations will be found in Essex….!