Two turtle doves

"On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Two turtle doves..."

'Two turtle doves' by Jane Tomlinson
acrylic on canvas - 40cm x 40cm - £175

Painter Jane Tomlinson is mad about wildlife - especially birds.

She says: "In recent years the numbers of turtle doves in Europe have fallen by more than 60%. Habitat loss, changes in farming practices and shooting these pretty birds for so-called 'sport' are blamed for their decline.

"It's a bit weird that the turtle dove should appear in an English folk song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', because the turtle dove isn't actually here in the UK in the winter. It migrates south... and faces Spanish bullets."

This painting, along with other paintings of birds and animals, will be on display during Eynsham's Artweekend at 18 Newland Close.