James Tomlinson, “Birdman of Rye”

I asked someone who knew James well to give a little insight before I interviewed him on the Nature Reserve at Rye Harbour.

“James is a watcher, photographer and painter of birds and has been a loyal supporter of the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve for many years. His enthusiasm is infectious, so if you don’t want to enjoy wildlife then I advise you not to go on one of his walks.

“Three adjectives to describe James: friendly – observant – artist.”

Who would you like to sit next to on a park bench and have a conversation with?

Kurt Vonnegut, purely because I am a massive fan of his writing and his books.

He was a humanist, he believed humans should treat each other the same. It’s quite easy to love. He was a satirical writer who I admire greatly –  so much so I named my dog after him, Vonnegut.

What would you say to him?     

God wasn’t you, right. Weren’t we a bunch of idiots. Or aren’t we still a bunch of idiots.

What would you do today if you were going to die tomorrow?

Try and spot a hundred plus species on the reserve. People were really excited when I did it before. I would like to do it again and improve my score and I enjoyed the interaction with the public.

What’s one item on your bucket list?

I would love to see Pearl Jam play in Seattle. They are my favourite band.

 What habits did you pick up from your parents?

My dad was very lucky; he was very laid back. He said it was best to be late in this world than early to the next. My dad said don’t rush about, everything can wait. He taught me to get the most you can out of life.

If money were no object, what would you purchase?

This nature reserve probably.

What is the most important trait you have?

Consideration. I try to listen to people. I am not well educated academically but I will always sit down with someone and listen. I am quite open about myself. People tell me that they can talk to me about anything.

What smell do you associate with childhood?

Lucozade. Every time I was ill my dad always bought me a bottle of Lucozade, the original one the old-fashioned glass bottle.

What would your eighteen-year old self think about you now?

I think he would say: “Wow!” I was always going to end up doing something with nature. I have ended up in a very happy place.

What will be your legacy?

This place (we are sitting on a bench at the Nature Reserve at Rye Harbour). I helped with the local community and encouraged people to get alongside the new Discovery Centre. People see me as the Birdman of Rye. It’s a title I like.

Do you collect anything?

Yes, old field guides of birds. In the 1950s, 1960s and more especially the 1970s a lot of great guides were produced. John Gooders’ guides (one of the hides is named in his honour) are amongst some of the ones I have collected.

You are producing work in watercolours at the moment but what medium did you start with?

Spray cans – I was into graffiti in my early days. Then I progressed to acrylics. When I got into birdwatching it naturally progressed to artwork. I prefer watercolour and pencils now.

I like watercolour as it is spontaneous. I choose to work in the field but catching birds’ movements and gestures is not easy as they don’t stay still for long. I have tried to work from photographs, but it isn’t right for me. I sit in a hide and lose myself in sketching.

You sell a lot of your work but do you take commissions?

Yes, I do, of birds. (He chuckles) People want to commission me to paint their cats and dogs but it is definitely birds for me. It is lovely to hear when someone says: “I’ve got a JT on my wall.” It makes me humble and proud all at the same time. I don’t make prints, everything is original.

If you could do a job just for a day, what would you choose?

Barry’s job. No, seriously, I have always said that his job is not just being a reserve manager riding round on your pushbike taking nice photos. It is so much more, a lot of paperwork, bureaucracy.  We all have this dream job of doing Barry’s job, looking after the nature reserve, but I know deep down there is a lot more to the job than anyone can imagine. He has been at the helm for over thirty-nine years. His has been the steady hand steering the reserve through hard and challenging times and great times too and now we are reaping the fruits of Barry’s hard work. I don’t want to do the job for thirty-nine years just for a day.

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Image Credits: Kt bruce , James Tomlinson , Kt bruce .