Cry

2024
Woodcut

Great Northern Divers are common winters visitors to Shetland usually staying faithful to same area each year. This makes them very vulnerable to local pollution incidents and in 1978 a major oil spill at Sullom Voe, oiled at least 131 birds. Surveys showed that even 20 years later the population was still only 20% of the pre oil spill numbers. Across the Northern hemisphere in shamanic cultures these birds feature heavily in rituals because of their ability to move between air and water. In the ears of some people their call has a human voice like resonance that at times can echo the cry in my heart.