Over the last two decades, I have toured the RSPB/Bird Club circuit with a series of illustrated talks that have proven to be very popular. Below is a small selection of the most popular talks that I have given. All talks can be adapted to last from as little as half an hour or up to 2 hours with a break.

Bee-eaters & Kingfishers: An introduction to the birds of Goa.

With eight species of Kingfisher and three species of Bee-eater available with relative ease, the Indian state of Goa has become a firm favourite with British birders seeking some warm winter birding. Whether it is the Jungles of the Western Ghat Mountains, Carambolim & Maem Lakes or the rice fields of Siolim there is always some great birding to be done. This talk documents just what quality birding is available in a small coastal area without going on a dedicated birding tour.

North West Year

This talk concentrates on the area that used to be covered by the old Birdline North West. It encompasses North Wales, down to the Lleyn Peninsular ,and up to North Lancashire/Southern Cumbria. Northwest birders often bemoan their lot because the Northwest does not attract the number of drift migrants and rarities that Norfolk or the east coast does. However, with tens of thousands of winter geese, the best place in England to see Leach’s Petrels and three internationally import estuaries, this presentation documents the diversity of species available in the Northwest, with one or two surprises.

Around the World in 8o Birds.

After almost two decades of long-haul travel with a big telephoto lens, this talk shows some of the amazing experiences and birds I have encountered. Enigmatic species such as the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Northern Bald Ibis, the little-known Stresemann’s Bushcrow of southern Ethiopia as well as some sparkling gems from Far Eastern & Neo-tropical jungles, all feature on a whistle-stop tour around the globe.

Kenya: More than Just Birds 

Kenya has one of the most diverse lists of bird species in the whole continent of Africa, however, with the Great Migration and millions of large herbivores providing food for Africa’s apex predators, there is just so much more to Kenya. From the dry plateaux in the shadow of Mount Kenya to the lush green grasslands of the Masai Mara, the wildlife adjacent to the bustling city of Nairobi and finally to the glistening shores of the Indian Ocean. The images in this presentation represent some of my most enjoyable moments behind the lens.

Birding on the Door Step

In recent years there has been a move towards a greener and more sustainable way of birding, the idea of more local birding has become even more popular and there are now league tables for patch birding as a way of providing a competitive element for those that want it. Local birding really took a leap forward during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people wanted to maximise their 1-hr exercise period during the lockdowns. This talk concentrates on ‘local’ birding utilising public parks, gardens, beaches and provides one or two surprise birds within.