Rhode Island birders have already started recognizing the signs for the fall migration season. Some species who summered in the state are taking wing to the south, while other species are passing through on their journey from the borealis forests in Canada. Six birds, however, have made the trip from Massachusetts to over-winter and spend next summer in Bristol. Specifically, on the grounds of Blithewold Manor.
The six birds range in species and in size, from a 15-foot-tall Eastern Bluebird to a 30-foot-tall Sandhill Crane. Each bird is a sculpture made of bamboo and colorful up-cycled materials. They were born from the minds of The Myth Makers, Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein, an internationally known artist duo who share a love for the natural world and for birds.
“We were looking for a large-scale outdoor art installation,” Tree Callanan, director of museum operations and communications, explains about the birds and Blithewold’s collaboration with The Myth Makers. “As you would probably guess, I Googled ‘large-scale outdoor art installation’ and The Myth Makers were on the list. We were thrilled to see that they lived in Massachusetts and that they’d exhibited internationally.” The collaboration became an opportunity for Blithewold to invest in local artists and bring prestige to their corner of the Ocean State.
Getting six giant bamboo birds to land on their feet is no easy trick. Dodson and Moerlein visited the manor in early spring of this year and spent two days with the Blithewold staff to scope out the grounds. “They walked the property with me and Dan Christina, our director of horticulture, learning about some of the nuances of the landscape,” says Callanan. That planning period allowed everyone to react quickly when surprise news revealed that there was an opportunity to have the birds migrate to Blithewold this summer instead of next year. Everyone was running, walking, digging, and helping to settle these new avian friends into their homes this summer.
Each of the birds’ “nesting grounds” was carefully chosen. “Some of the placements were concerned with line of sight. We wanted the folks driving by on Ferry Road to get a glimpse, so we put a sculpture on the East Lawn,” Callanan articulates. “The bluebird that’s located at the Visitors Center is called the Greeter, and he’s the first thing each visitor sees as they drive into the parking lot. Some of the others were chosen to be closer to the water because that would be their habitat.”
Besides the bluebird, the other new avian residents include a 20-foot-tall peahen on the front lawn. Her 20-foot-long tail has doors that lead into a tunnel-like interior, making this installation interactive. There are two birds on the Great Lawn overlooking Bristol Harbor and Narragansett Bay, including a 25-foot-tall owl that has a curved bench inside of it and the 30-foot-tall sandhill crane. Along the path, there is a 20-foot-tall “queenfisher,” whose crest is made of dozens of blue pinwheels. A “queenfisher” is a female kingfisher bird; the female is one of the only bird species who is more colorful than the male. There is also a bittern nestled inside the bamboo grove, waiting for visitors to stumble upon his hiding spot. “The expansiveness of the property makes an ideal setting for these colossal pieces of art,” Callanan proclaims. “Looking out at the sandhill crane from afar, you’d never guess that bird is well over 30 feet tall!”
Blithewold plans to celebrate the Big Beautiful Bamboo Birds exhibit with events until the bamboo bird migration happens in August 2025 (the birds will no longer be at Blithewold). Opening reception for the birds will take place Saturday, September 21 from 1-3 p.m. The free event will host The Myth Makers and offer light bites and alcoholic beverages.
Callanan is also planning programming with the birds throughout mid- to late-September for World Bamboo Day (September 18), so visitors should check the Blithewold events page for updates. And, of course, since these “feathered” friends are over-wintering at the manor, they will be incorporated for Blithewold’s annual Sparkle! this holiday season.