‘Bonxie’ Painted Stone
Often described as pirates or vikings, Great Skuas, known by many as Bonxies, are formidable birds. They relentlessly harass other seabirds, robbing them of their catch. Even larger birds such as Gannets are targeted. They also pluck eggs, chicks and smaller birds such as Puffins from cliffs, and are notorious for dive-bombing humans who get too close to their nests, veering away just centimetres from the unfortunate person’s head and sometimes clipping them with a trailing wing or foot.
I saw a number of Bonxies when I visited the northern-most tip of the British Isles, soaring above Hermaness National Nature Reserve. Often, they came in close to assess my friend and I as we walked across the reserve, but luckily we escaped any dive-bombing. In this stone, I have depicted a Bonxie gliding over the sea near Hermaness with Muckle Flugga Lighthouse on the horizon.
Dimensions: 14cm x 12cm
Please keep this stone dry and out of direct sunlight.
Out of stock