LECTURES
I give a range of talks within approximately a 90 minute drive of Macclesfield in Cheshire. Fees are subject to negotiation depending on whether the talk is to a charity, likely audience numbers and distance travelled.
WILDLIFE THEMED TALKS
Costa Rica (45 or 75 minutes)
The Jewel of Central America with a wide variety of birds, mammals, insects and frogs.
Garden Wildlife (45 to 60 minutes)
The wildlife that can be seen in our gardens and what we can do to help it.
Holiday Wildlife in Florida and Spain (60 to 75 minutes but could be two shorter talks)
This talk is about the birds and other wildlife that can easily be seen on holidays in the popular tourist destinations of Florida and Southern Spain.
Kruger National Park, South Africa (60 to 75 minutes)
The people, mammals, birds and insects in and around the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Sights and Sounds of British Wildlife (60 to 75 minutes)
The sights and sounds of British birds, mammals, amphibians and insects in habitats ranging from back gardens to sea cliffs and the uplands. The talk includes tips on how to remember some of the bird songs and details of The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.
Shetland (60 to 75 minutes)
The wildlife and sights of Shetland, starting on Fair Isle and finishing with a view of Out Stack, the most northerly part of Britain. Pictures include birds, wildflowers, butterflies and mammals.
UK Travels with a Wildlife Camera (30 to 75 minutes)
Wildlife in a range of habitats including a local Cheshire Farm, by the roadside, RSPB Coombes Valley, Red Kites at Gigrin Farm, Seals at Donna Nook, Farne Islands, Dunbar and Bass Rock. This includes mainly birds, but also flowers, mammals and insects. This talk is mainly about the wildlife but can include photographic techniques if required.
Wildlife of Cheshire’s Peaks, Plains and Coast (60 or 80 mins)
A wide mix of wildlife in a range of habitats throughout Cheshire.
Winter Wonderlands (approximately 60 to 80 minutes)
This talk is in two parts, both in different Februarys in temperatures as low as -40°c. How does wildlife survive in these conditions? Yellowstone National Park in America and Kuusamo in Finland. Images are a selection of birds and mammals but because of the low temperatures and snow the number of species is low but what there is are rather special.
ASTRONOMY TALKS
A Look at the Night Sky (60 to 80 minutes)
Starting with our solar system and moving out to deep space.
An Introduction to Photographing the Night Sky with a DSLR (60 to 80 minutes).
Subjects with increasing difficulty; the Moon, star trails, constellations and meteors, the Milky Way and deep sky objects.
GENERAL INTEREST TALKS
My Photography (60 to 80 minutes)
What I enjoy about photography. A bit of everything and includes wildlife, sport, astronomy, planes and other subjects.
Charles Tunnicliffe OBE RA (40 minutes +)
This talk is about the life and artwork of the RSPB Gold Medal recipient Charles Tunnicliffe who has been described as the greatest wildlife artist of the 20th century. He spent his early years in Langley, near Macclesfield before moving to Anglesey.
The talk can be given individually or there is a choice of two second halves both of which use Charles's artwork to illustrate all parts of the talks.
Option 1 (40 minutes) - The book Mereside Chronicle by Charles Tunnicliffe OBE RA was published in 1948 and documents the scenery and wildlife of Cheshire’s meres. The book is in diary format and this talk, which uses Charles’s artwork throughout, is based on a selection of dates throughout the year.
Option 2 (45 minutes) - The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch and changes in bird populations in our gardens since the survey began in 1979. The talk uses Charles’s artwork throughout.