look at http://dstitch.blogspot.com/ for deirdres latest blog and recent projects.  

stay here if you want to find out more about an artist residency exploring  knitted birds,Handa island and Cape Breton.

the birds are getting ready to fly

I am now getting very excited about my trip to Cape Breton and in meeting Nancy and the children at Sydney river elementary school ..




beautiful photos of cape breton : http://www.paulillsley.com/ns/capebreton/

In October 2007 deirdre will be travelling to sydney in cape breton and will meet with the teacher and school involved in the birdie exchange. She will attend an arts education conference and speak about her work and related education work.

wings of flight


12th april 2007


As a result of the 'birdies' artistic exchange Sydney river elementary school Cape Breton exhibit their bird prints and paintings and the work of Sutherland pupils. Wings of Flight 

is binngach eun na dhoire fhen
sweet sings each bird in its own grove

animation with rm*

http://www.cbv.ns.ca/elemweb/sriver/Handa%20video.htm

http://www.rm-star.com/

The stills from the animation show the end scenes where the flying birdies reach Cape Breton and are greeted by artic terns and the names of the children who originally lived on Handa ( Handa concensus 1841)

Serius

artic tern

Serius is said to be the name of the boat people travelled on when
emigrating to Cape breton.
artic tern is a small bird that takes the longest migration of
any bird. Immediately before migration a noisy colony of
birds suddenly becomes quiet and they all take to the air and
fly away. This behaviour is called 'the dread '

auks

members of the great sea bird clan

the auk family/ clan members all sat together in the exhibition with labels explaining who they were and a list of inhabitants on Handa in 1841 .. Macloed Tartan labels gave a hint of the clan they are from !

Handa Consensus 1841

Hector Falconer 35 years

Flora 30

Catherine 10

Alex 7

Hughina 5

Mary 3

Alexander Macloed 50

Ann 55

Lucy 10

William Macloed 80

Mary 77

Donald Macloed 30

Mary 25

George 4

George Macleod 60

Ann 55

John 25

Robert 20

Hugh Macloed 30

Lucy 25

Ann 15

Roderickina White 25

Hector Ross 45

John 3

Robert 1

Cathill Kerr 35

Ann 45

John 11

George 9

Isabella 7

William 5

Barbara 3

Barbara White 55

Jean 25

Williamina 20

Diane 15

Barbara 40

Donald 4

Donald Macleod 50

Betty 45

Johnina 25

Neil 20

Hugh 20

Christy 15

Anne 4

gillie guillemot

guillemot , member of the great seabird clan
auks are generally poor walkers on land so this has given rise to the saying 'drunk as an auk'

somewhere on Handa island there is a cave, which was said to contain casks of whisky, rum and brandy.

bill
razorbill

Queenie oystercatcher
Probably the most unusual bird - an albino oystercatcher
with a twisted bill- now resides, stuffed ,in an Edinburgh
museum having died on Handa in 1967

Queen of Handa .. a title bestowed on the oldest widow
on the island. She had the last say in all disputes.

An oystercatchers call is said to resemble the Gaelic
bi glic.. bi glic ...be wise be wise

skua
bonxie
evander

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birdies of weavers bay exhibition

birdies of weavers bay

Scourie Village Hall
Scourie
By lairg

Saturday 25th September