At break time this Wednesday, I left school early and headed to Hexham station to pick up fellow young birder Elliot Montieth. We had a long journey ahead of us – it’s quite far from inland Northumberland to London!

However, the journey was to be worthwhile. We were headed to the Mall Galleries, where the Society of Wildlife Artists’ Natural Eye exhibition was opening. The opening night of the exhibition is when the British Trust for Ornithology presents it’s awards; …