Crossing the Solent from Southampton to East Cowes only takes an hour. Before your cappuccino has cooled, a captivating sight hoves into view: a colossal, 12-by-65-metre mural adorning the shipyard's Columbine Building. From far out to sea, you can make out the brown plumage, and as you get closer, the bright yellow talons and hooked bill sharpen into focus. It's a stunning artwork, executed with lifelike precision.
The majestic animal it depicts is the largest bird of prey to grace UK shores, and its presence here is the culmination of a remarkable conservation success story of which the Isle of Wight is rightly proud. It was late January, and as I exited the port, the towering mural served as an unsubtle reminder of the purpose of my trip.
