International Guillemot Appreciation Day
IGAD! It’s a big day for guillemots. If these small seabirds only knew that there are people around the world championing them today! Would they puff out their chests with pride, flash their white wing patches, or wave their bright red feet in the air? Or, perhaps, unassuming as they are, they would go about their usual seabird business, diving for fish, cruising the waves, tending their young.
This auspicious day was begun some 32 years ago by a group of seabird researchers in Maine. Noting the lack of attention paid the guillemot compared to the love showered on its close relative the puffin, they set out rectify the situation. There’s even a Facebook group for those that love June 27th as a day to appreciate those under-appreciated guillemots. I’m wearing my old red Converse and sharing this post to do my part.
Tips and Techniques– If you’d like to paint and learn more about seabirds join me for Painting Seabird Portraits in Watercolor, online at Winslow Art Center starting Tuesday, July 16.
Drawn In 
Jean! A fitting tribute to a magnificent seabird. Your post and painting depict perfectly this stepbird to the better known and readily recognized puffin. Today I shall sing praises to the Black Guillemot from the highest peaks of my land-locked home state of New Mexico, knowing full well these island mountains were once surrounded by inland seas …… and maybe, just maybe, were fishing grounds to patrols of Guillemots! Happy International Guillemot Appreciation Day! (Who couldn’t love the Guillemot? And such a fun name to pronounce.).
Thanks for sharing my enthusiasm despite your land-locked status, Barb!
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I love this, and your sketch makes we ask why I dont sketch birds more often, they are so great to sketch.
Thanks Terry! Perhaps this will spark you to include a few more birds in your sketchbook!