Northumberland-based artist Paul Henery talks about his new exhibition inspired by Coquet Island and its unique roseate tern colony.  
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Our approach in a fast rib along the ‘Coquet Road’ is over too soon. Scattering flocks of puffins sitting on a Prussian blue sea under a huge cobalt sky we clamber up the concrete jetty and onto Coquet Island.

At first I feel like an intruder on this RSPB reserve and I am watchful of every step I take between the nests and eggs of common terns, which are all over the footpath to the lighthouse. The birds let me know I am not welcome by striking my head and covering me in guano until I find a spot and stay put quietly. I slowly become accepted and am able to soak up the atmosphere of this magnificent seabird colony which is an artist’s paradise.

Despite many fulmar, kittiwake, puffins and four species of terns I am here for one bird only, the roseate tern. This special bird with its long elegant tail streamers, pale grey plumage, elaborate courtship display, sharp black bill and a breast blushed with pink satin has captivated me.

I am on the island as the artist in residence, to make work from life for an exhibition at ‘Niche Gallery’ @ The old Bath House from 14 July to 8 September. My time is limited so I work fast to capture an array of shapes and forms and ever-changing light on paper in fluid watercolors.

I first became involved with the roseate terns on Coquet Island back in 1994 when I was full time Wildlife Crime Officer for Northumbria Police and the 25 pairs that nested there then were under threat from egg collectors. Happily, with the intense conservation work of the RSPB, the support of the EU-funded LIFE project and ongoing police protection the numbers have risen to over 100 pairs.

Later, I began to volunteer on Coquet Island and became directly involved in the survey and conservation work that goes on to help protect Europe’s most endangered seabird.

​With each magical return visit I became more and more fascinated with the “rosy” terns and an idea took shape to produce a body of work about Coquet Island together with my artist daughter.  
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We want to present the public with our impressions of this unique island; its sights, smells and wonderful bird life which, can’t be visited but which people should be able to appreciate.
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The resulting exhibition, with its watercolors, oils, acrylics and drawings is our way of sharing Coquet Island and the roseate terns.

On the 1st of May, the Fat Mermaid restaurant, in Amble was transformed into a French piano bar to help support the local island of Coquet and it's precious inhabitants!

The lovely puffin and tern bunting decorating the windows were made by Amble First School Pupils.

It was a fantastic turn out with a full-house raising just over £500 from the tickets and £47 from the pins!              

As a result of this spectacular evening, this fundraiser will support the hardworking efforts of the RSPB (staff and volunteers) to safeguard the sole UK colony of roseate terns and the now globally endangered puffins.

A huge thank you to everyone who made this event such a success!                 

All Photo credits: Paul Morrison

2017 kicked off with some fantastic news from 'From the Notebook' donating £250 pounds for the sales of their Roseate tern 'Blush IPA' to Coquet Island!

The bird reserve is home to variety of breeding seabirds including the endangered puffin, the vulnerable eider duck and the UK’s rarest breeding seabird ‘the roseate tern.’  In 2016 there were only 106 nesting pairs of roseate terns in the UK, with 104 pairs nesting on Coquet Island in Amble. Consequently, this donation will greatly strengthen and assist these stunning birds by aiding the conservation work undertaken by the wardens.

The creation of this bespoke beer came about through the collaboration of, From the Notebook (Graeme Denton), Credence Brewing (Michael Graham) and Coquet Warden, Paul Morrison.  

From the Notebook produces dedicated beers which honour and publicizes the uniqueness of wildlife. Through these aims this trademark aligns itself with various nature conservation charities, and dedicates its royalties to them. In this case, the beer is linked with our own Roseate Tern LIFE Recovery Project, while their other beers cover charities including BugLife, Bat Conservation Trust and the Marine Conservation Society.

The bottle is designed around the features of the charismatic roseate tern, with the pink bottle cap alluding to the slight rosy hue the birds get on their breast feathers during the summer. 

Credence Brewery which is based in Amble, give this beer not only a unique and tasty flavour but also an added local link to the area which these rare terns are so enamoured with. 

Another tribute to how vital Northumberland is, is the label on the Roseate Tern beer. Each From the Notebook beer label is tailored specifically to the wildlife that is being promoted, creating a lovely method of communicating the animal’s story and the Blush IPA is no different.

The label’s artwork is originally a painting by artist Paul Henery, a former wildlife crime officer for the RSPB, and it features a roseate tern in courtship standing in front of its only British breeding colony: Coquet Island emphasising the tenuous situation these birds are in.  

However the donation from From the Notebook and Credence brewery sales will greatly benefit these vulnerable seabirds through funding some of the ongoing conservation work on Coquet Island.

Check out the press release in the Ambler about the people behind the beer! http://www.theambler.co.uk/2017/01/19/amble-beer-takes-flight/ 

From the Notebook: http://www.fromthenotebook.co.uk/index.php/component/k2/blush-ipa 
Credence Brewery: http://www.credencebrewing.co.uk/

Photo Credits: Paul Morrison