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Zoom Talks Programme 2024-25

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We have a programme of seven talks and a Christmas Quiz all to be held on Zoom for Members Only.

The talks are FREE but for MBS members only.
This season the Zoom link will be sent in an email from MailChimp to all Members who have indicated Zoom Talks among their "interests". If you didn't specify when you joined/renewed, you can "update your preferences" using the link at the bottom of the monthly Enews or email birdsmbs@yahoo.com.

Friday 25 April 2025 7pm on Zoom
Wader Quest on Safari with Rick Simpson
Rick is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Wader Quest and has given us a couple of talks in the past about Wader Quest activities.
Wader Quest is a charity set up in 2012 initially to raise funds for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper. As Rick and his wife Elis travelled to see as many waders as possible they discovered the problems waders worldwide face problems. They continue to travel and raise awareness and money to support wader conservation. He will talk to us about his wader questing and the waders he and Elis found in Southern Africa.
Speaker's website

Earlier this season

Friday 20 September 2024 7pm on Zoom
The Solway - Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway with John Miles
John, a former warden for RSPB, tour guide, consultant, journalist and author of Best Birdwatching Sites: The Solway took 39 members on a whistlestop tour of the region.
The talk was followed by the 43rd MBS AGM attended by 28 Members. The AGM Agenda and minutes are on Documents page of the website.

Friday 18 October 2024 7pm on Zoom
Yellowstone with Gaye Henson
30 MBS members were expecting to visit Shetland with Matt Eade but, in his absence, Gaye treated us to a very interesting and well-illustrated account of a birding holiday in Yellowstone, USA.

Friday 15 November 2024 7pm on Zoom
Svalbard - Life on the Cold Edge - with Paul Collins
Paul is an award-winning nature photographer and guide from London. His images, which often feature birds in low light and minimalist landscapes, have been awarded in the British Wildlife Photography Awards and Bird Photographer Of The Year among others; and he regularly leads bird photo tours in the UK and Europe. He also works in television, co-producing documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4 and Discovery Network.
"At 78 degrees north, lying between Norway and the North Pole, Svalbard's unique landscape and wildlife make it an irresistible destination for photographers"... and birdwatchers. 20 MBS members went on Paul's wondeerful photographic journey across land and sea, fjords and tundra, celebrating the best of Arctic wildlife under the midnight sun - from Arctic Foxes hunting Eiders, to the courtship rituals of Red-Throated Diver, and Walruses on the open ocean.
Speaker's website

Friday 13 December 2024 7pm on Zoom
Christmas Quiz 21 members joined in the now traditional fun and informative evening. Questions all had some avian connection but you also had to know your Tolkien, ancient gods, Mozart and a visit to the Natural History Museum Exhibition Birds Brilliant and Bizarre should have helped.

Friday 17 January 2025 7pm on Zoom
Speyside Wildlife talk with Roy Atkins
Cyprus - exciting spring migration in the eastern mediterranean.
Roy is an experienced guide, lecturer and teacher at Speyside Wildlife who previously gave us a talk on Scottish wildlife in February 2021 - our 1st Zoom talk season. On this occasion he gave 31 members a very entertaining and informative talk about visiting Cyprus in springtime.
Speaker's website

Friday 21 February 2025 7pm on Zoom
Hummingbirds with Rob Williams
Dr Rob Williams FLS is a conservation biologist who has worked on 5 continents but has specialised in South America, living in Ecuador and then Peru for 16 years. In this time he worked for international conservation organisations in some of the most biodiverse areas on earth and on some of the most iconic species. He also worked as an international bird tour guide on six continents and a photographer for National Geographic Magazine.
The world's smallest birds and the only birds that can fly backwards, hummingbirds are found only in the Americas, with the greatest diversity being found in the tropical Andes. 27 Members joined this talk which examined the Hummingbirds' evolution, diversity, and ecology, including exploring their relationship with the many plants that they have coevolved with. Rob has over 25 years living and working in South America and is currently writing a photographic guide to the family - Hummingbirds of the World.

Friday 21 March 2025 7pm on Zoom
The Silver Greene Talk
Silver Greene was a longstanding member of MBS and she bequeathed a sum of money to be used to fund a talk to our members.
Mrs Moreau's Warbler, How Birds Got Their Names with Stephen Moss
Stephen Moss is one of Britain's leading nature writers, broadcasters and wildlife television producers. A lifelong naturalist he is passionate about communicating the wonders of the natural world to the widest possible audience. His special areas of knowledge include British wildlife; birds and climate change; the social history of wildlife-watching; getting children back in touch with nature; and UK environmental issues. He has written numerous highly acclaimed books. This was, as expected, a fascinating and entertaining talk.
Speaker's website