Special Events at the Grant Arms Hotel
TALK: The Birds of Orkney
For the last 10 years Steve & Sarah Sankey have run their wildlife tourism business Orcadian Wildlife from their organic farm on South Ronaldsay in Orkney. Steve has an extensive knowledge of Scotland's birds having spent 25 years as a countryside ranger and with RSPB and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, prior to moving to Orkney. He will focus on the importance of Orkney's seabirds and raptors, and show an occasional rarity or surprise, all illustrated with his or Sarah's photographs.
10th February 2012
Free
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TALK: Birds Britannica
Chris Gomersall will talk about his career as a professional wildlife photographer over more than 25 years, both as RSPB’s staff photographer and subsequently as a freelance. Chris’ talk will be illustrated with photographs of Britain’s bird life, including a great many from Scotland, and will feature recent work from his book (“Wildlife Photographer – a course in creative photography”) and assignments undertaken for the 2020VISION project.
13th February 2012
Free
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TALK: Snowy Owl - King of the Arctic
Gordon Yates presents footage of Snowy Owls filmed over nine visits to the Arctic. As the recording plays Gordon will talk about the life of these remarkable creatures and their environment. The story starts in Spitsbergen and includes other wildlife such as Little Auk, Grey Phalarope, Ivory Gull, Arctic Skua, Arctic Fox and Walrus. The search then moves on to Hudson Bay where many Polar Bears and Gyr Falcon are encountered. Finally Gordon talks about Alaska, its Arctic birds and of course the breeding Snowy Owls.
15th March 2012
Free
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TALK: Scottish Landscape Photography
Donald Ford began publishing his Scottish landscape photography in 1996, with books, calendars and other items now selling all over the world. Donald will explain the "basics" of getting quality photographs and briefly outline the key elements of his equipment, the skills necessary for landscape photography and the importance of good composition. Donald will attempt to portray the different aspects of the Scottish landscape and how to capture them successfully in this entertaining talk.
30th March 2012
Free
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TALK: Birds as Flying Machines
Paul Rogers presents a talk which looks at how birds are adapted to flight. The evolution of birds is dealt with in a simple straightforward way and the importance of feathers, their structure and care is outlined. Other problems of flight follow with the importance of weight and energy being emphasised. The subject is covered in easy to understand terms and will hopefully open your eyes to some aspects of birds that you may not have considered before.
6th April 2012
Free
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TALK: Webbed Feet and Water
Paul Rogers talks about the lives and adaptations of Wildfowl – not a talk about all of the wildfowl species of the world but one which deals with swans, geese, ducks and their environments. There will be an emphasis on British species with occasional reference to other species in order to emphasise a point. The adaptations of wildfowl for a life in and around water will be considered and the behaviour and breeding of some familiar species will also be covered.
8th April 2012
Free
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TALK: World Class Bird Images
David Cromack presents the pick of the entries submitted for the International Wildbird Photographer competition organised by Bird Watching magazine during his tenure as Editor. It features work from top bird photographers around the globe and is a talk that appeals equally to birdwatchers and photographers. David will provide insight into why judges liked some images and disliked others. Many groups that have seen the talk have been kind enough to describe it as the best presentation of images they've seen.
20th April 2012
Free
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TALK: Operation Osprey
Join wildlife lecturers and former birdwatching tour leaders, Ralph and Brenda Todd, to hear about their work as volunteer wardens at RSPB Loch Garten. This talk tells the story of the Osprey returning to Scotland, as well as looking at some of the other habitats and wildlife close to Loch Garten.
1st May 2012
Free
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TALK: Where the Waters Roar - Iceland
Join wildlife lecturers and former birdwatching tour leaders, Ralph and Brenda Todd, as they take you on a journey through Iceland, illustrating the birdlife against a backdrop of some of the most spectacular waterfalls, glaciers and scenery in Europe. Plant-life, whales and dolphins provide added interest to the confiding birds and they’ll look at some of the changes observed around the countryside as seen between visits in 1988 and 2007.
4th May 2012
Free
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