Friendly Neighbours

 

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Anne and Terry visited the Egg to bring the gift of a delicious banana and walnut cake which was most welcomely received. They spend a lot of their time living on their boat ‘Teal’ moored upriver of the Egg and have followed the Beadle’s progress all year and this was their third attempt to reach me. ‘The first time I brought a cake’ said Anne ‘a couple of months ago, but there was no one at home. The second time, there was insufficient water to get the dory up the creek, we got stuck in the mud and did a bit of ‘quanting’ to get off. Terry got to enjoy lots of cake!’

Anne photographed the Egg’s arrival last summer and her images recall the moment.

'Arrival of the Egg' photo Anne Chivers

‘Arrival of the Egg’ photo Anne Chivers

'Arrival of the Egg' Photo Anne Chivers

‘Arrival of the Egg’ Photo Anne Chivers

'Arrival of the Egg' Photo Anne Chivers

‘Arrival of the Egg’ Photo Anne Chivers

 

 

 

 

White Plumes

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The budding brambles on Blackberry Way are increasingly interwoven with the counterpoint of twisting con volvulus.  Amongst this bind weed abides the white plume moth, which I observed for a few moments before releasing it into the warm evening air.

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Eye

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I made an eye in the bow of the Egg by drilling a three inch hole through the sandwich of red cedar and epoxy forming its shell, providing the potential for discreet observation.

Early yesterday morning five black headed gulls picked their way across the mud, with a shell duck and redshank also in attendance. Two crows prodded purslane matted with algae on the riverbank, trying for a breakfast of their own.

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Silas Sailing By

When Paul Baker was building the Egg at Battramsley Farm near Lymington, his dream was to finish his own boat which shared the same barn and to get onto the water himself. This afternoon he saluted the Exbury Egg as he sailed down river in the completed Silas.

 

 

The Blue Tit

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A young blue tit (they still have yellow cheeks) was found near the Egg by my neighbour Nick who preserved it for me in the refrigerator. Birds of many species have recently fledged but not all will make it to adulthood.

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Sinutab Spider

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One of a collection of drawings on the verso of 31 empty packages of goods consumed in April; Bi-Narrative No14_Sinutab Spider. The boxes continue one narrative about headaches, breakfasts (cereal boxes), power consumption (battery boxes) etc. The verso drawings in Exbury oak ink reflect other daily obsessions, rituals and interests. This is one of the orb web spiders living in the egg and the subject of an earlier blog (a video making the drawing itself). I endeavour not to waste material in the Egg.

When My Ship Came In

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Large passenger ships are visible cruising along the Solent eastward to port in Southampton and west bound for destinations unknown to me. I did not recognise the ship in the early hours of May 2nd, but Oceania headed past on May 5th at 17.07. My own ship came in when I began living in the Egg eleven months ago. Stephen Payne, designer of the Queen Mary 2, also calculated the displacement of the Exbury Egg; so he is responsible for the world’s largest liner as well as having a hand in its largest floating Egg.