'The larger format has given the paintings room to breathe, immediately catching your eye as you turn each page, taking you into grand , moody landscapes. The texts are still important and evocative but are there to complete the story behind the painting. ... One of Donald Watson's great strengths as an artist was his ability to create a sense of place and moment, the birds painted as part of the landscape, not portraits with a bit of background.'

Dan Powell  British Birds June 2011

 

'His paintings, more than any other artist I know, capture the soul of the bird and the mood of their upland haunts. Donald was particularly skilled at placing the bird in its landscape, a skill he claimed was inspired by
the wonderful paintings of the Swedish artist Bruno Liljefors.
The book is full of richly reproduced artwork, but the  short pieces of accompanying text are also informative and frequently poetic. Watson touches on his early encounters with harriers in France and Burma, but concentrates mainly on his experiences of Hen Harriers in Scotland, although other associated wildlife is also depicted...this is a delightful book
that draws one into the artist’s world'.

Steve Redpath   Ibis July 2011

 

'The final book from an ornithologist and artist is a beautiful record of a life in love with birds.....This book, completed shortly before the author's death in 2005 and only now available in print, is a dip into the great man's diary and paintings over a 50 year period. His knowledge and skill as an artist shine from every page, and though the book focuses on hen harriers in his beloved Dumfries and Galloway, there are forays to all four corners of Scotland and beyond.

With infectious passion, he describes his fascination with harriers, the myriad of wildlife that shares the bird's upland home, and the naturalists and artists that strongly influenced his life.

These are undoubtedly the writings of an enthusiast ...The story is told in words and paintings by a true craftsman, making this beautiful book a fitting tribute to a real gentleman who was also one of our great upland naturalists'.

Iolo Williams      BBC Wildlife Magazine January 2011

 

'The late author studied and painted harriers for more than half a century. This book is liberally illustrated with his artwork, and his observations are woven around them'.

RSPB Birds February 2011

 

'..a fitting tribute to his memory and his passion for Hen Harriers. Donald's text is as evocative as ever, and his historic anecdotes have added significance in the context of a declining Hen Harrier population. I recommend this book'.

John Savory  Scottish Birds Vol 30(4) December 2010

 

'At last we have the long awaited final contribution from the late Donald Watson, one of the 20th century's most evocative natural history writers and internationally renowned wildlife artist who inspired a generation of bird painters and illustrators. An accomplished ornithologist from an early age, he became a world authority on the hen harrier, which he studied in Galloway for over forty years. This book follows Donald's work on hen harriers and is illustrated beautifully with a number of his finest paintings of these wonderful birds. His earliest attempts to capture their power and graceful agility on moorland breeding grounds in 1959 are followed by classic depictions of food passing pairs, nestling broods in heather and haunting communal roosts in the gloaming in his beloved Galloway...The faithfully reproduced paintings are not only stunningly beautiful, but so cleverly and accurately capture the essence of the birds and landscapes they depict. Brilliant as they are though the pictures are only half the story. They are accompanied by a compellingly evocative commentary that moves effortlessly from autobiographical notes, through artistic tips and insights, to perceptive and detailed observations on the biology and behaviour of his various bird subjects and habitats. Donald Watson was among the very best of wildlife writers and his deceptively easy and relaxing style is a master class in the genre. Here in his last book he presents new information and comment on his studies of hen harriers with a disarming directness that demands the cessation of the absurd persecution that these wonderful birds suffer on many grouse moors. If there is a disappointment it is that this is the last we can hear from the master craftsman whose love and passion for hen harriers and their haunts reaches out to us from every page of this lovely book.'

 

Chris Rollie  Scottish Raptor Issue 9 2010

 

'Contains a wealth of information about these beautiful birds, including their prey species, breeding habits and locations in Orkney, Uist, Loch Lomond and other areas of the Scottish Highlands. This collection is a retrospective of Donald's paintings of birds of prey, each is highlighted with a short text relating to the story and reason for the original work.'

Wildscape Vol 10 No4

 

 

'a remarkable celebration of this author and painter's work and the large format is needed to give justice to some superb paintings...it is a fitting tribute to his work...the large format not only represents the attraction and lure of these spectacular birds but also the author's knowledge and passion for them....the book is not yet another monograph but depends on his paintings done over the previous 50 years. The harriers may be the mainstay of this book but, for me there are other paintings equally impressive and evocative. One that stands out is the stonechat perched on gorse, as it seems that almost any moment it will fly off the pages.'

 

Ray Collier        Highland News Group Nov 2010

 

 

'This book is a culmination of half a century of bird artistry at its best, and very few artists can portray harriers and their habitat as successfully as Donald does. When I first opened this book and began to flick through it, the sheer quality of all these paintings simply jumped out of the page at me. The text is also well written and easy to read, and gives an insight into the life's work of the author. I therefore thoroughly recommend this book to everyone, whether you enjoy harriers or not, or like me, you just love to admire an amazing bird artist at work. This book is a snip at the price and worth every penny. Langford Press also deserve praise for its splendid layout and for the overall quality of the book-I know Donald would have been extremely proud of its efforts, had he lived to see his work to fruition.'

 

Don Scott    Birdwatch magazine December 2010