Tuesday 13th May
Coastal Bird ID Session
Where: Marwick Head
Meet: TBC
When: Tuesday 13th May 9am – 12pm
With: BTO (British Trust for Ornithology)
Cost: Free
Booking Required: Yes https://www.bto.org/event/1859?channel=8&medium=92
Join BTO Scotland's Steve Willis for a walk around RSPB Marwick Head looking for seabirds, waders, ducks and much more! We'll take a walk around RSPB Marwick Head taking in all the sights, sounds (and smells!) of our amazing seabirds. Learn more about identifying them on their colonies, on the sea, and in flight. We'll also seek out some wader species and work through how we identify them. There may well be sea ducks, gulls, skuas, and other exciting birds about. The walk is suitable for everyone from complete beginners to more experienced birders. Note the footpaths are on grass and gravel and there are some steep inclines. We'll take our time throughout the morning!
Guide in a Hide - Peatlands Special
Where: RSPB Birsay Moors Hide, Evie, KW17 2PL what3words location: ///snug.since.mealtime
Meet: Drop into the hide.
Car parking: There is plenty of space to park around 50m from the hide, at the base of the wind turbine.
When: Tuesday 13th 9:30am -12:30pm
With: RSPB Orkney’s Peatland Restoration Project
Age: All welcome – anyone under 16 should be accompanied by an adult.
Dogs: Assistance dogs only
Cost: Free
Booking: Not required
Contact: Iolo.Jones@rspb.org.uk
RSPB Orkney’s peatland project is working to restore peatland habitat in the west mainland. Come to the hide to see the birds that live in this amazing habitat- highlights might include Red-Throated Divers and range of raptors.
Nature and history walk at Mull Head
Where: Mull Head, Deerness
Meet: The Gloup car park, Mull Head, Deerness
When: Tuesday 13th May 10am to 12pm
With: Summit to Sea Adventures
Ages: 8+ (younger children are able to attend if brought in a sling/carrier but unfortunately the path is not accessible for buggies or wheelchairs)
Site Information: Moderate walking on a grassy, boggy at places clifftop path. Exposed path with chain to the Brough of Deerness.
Dogs: No dogs allowed
Cost: £10 per person
Booking Required: summittoseaadventures@gmail.com
Contact: 07542 604 793
Our Mull Head Nature and History Walk has been designed to celebrate the 2025 Orkney Nature Festival. This is a clifftop walk at the Mull Head Nature Reserve in Deerness, taking us along the impressive Gloup and on to the Brough of Deerness before continuing along the coastal path. This coastline is rich in a variety of habitats supporting wildflower and plant species, such as angelica, spring quill, grass of parnassus and bird's-foot trefoil. The cliffs are home to seabirds such as fulmars, shags, cormorants and guillemots and we might see seals and cetaceans too. We will also explore this headland's Pictish, Viking and modern history and folklore. Max distance 6.5km/4 miles
Making Your Birding Count – Getting Started in BirdTrack
Where: Stromness Community Centre
Meet: Stromness Community Centre
When: Tuesday 13th May 7pm – 8.30pm
With: BTO (British Trust for Ornithology)
Cost: Free, donations on the door
Booking Required: Yes https://www.bto.org/event/1860?channel=8&medium=92
Find out more about how you can help to gather valuable information on our bird life using BirdTrack. Part of Orkney Nature Festival. Find out more about how the BTO's BirdTrack scheme. Using either your home computer or the smartphone app you can record, store and share all your sightings from wherever you are. At this talk we'll explore what you can do, how to get started and how to enter data. We'll also cover where the data goes and how it helps us look after the UK's amazing birdlife.
Research in Rewilding: The good, the bad, and the boaring
Where: Online
When: Tuesday 13th May 7pm
Cost: Free
Booking Required: https://buytickets.at/orkneynaturefestival/1603535
Connor Lovell is a final year PhD student at the Institute of Zoology and King's College London investigating rewilding with ungulates in Scotland. He will present an overview of rewilding, before diving into the specifics of his research looking at the behaviour and ecological impacts of a novel community of deer and wild boar on a rewilding site. He will finish by assessing the current and future state of the reintroduced wild boar population in Scotland. Expect lots of science combined with cool camera trap pictures!