Keith and Linda Offord - a brief background
We are both originally zoology graduates. At the time, having a zoology degree was hardly a passport to a job but ultimately it has proved rather more useful than I had imagined.
My own interest in birds and wildlife goes back to childhood. It was at the time of the Brooke Bond PG Tips picture cards, beautifully illustrated by Tunnicliffe. We swapped the cards in school and built up a collection. Somehow, the process was a little like birdwatching where results were not immediate and patience was necessary.
From there I was hugely inspired by various people with great knowledge and experience. My mentor was (and still is) Robin Khan who I met when I was 13 years old. He simply had the biggest binoculars I had ever seen (ex-naval Ross) so I thought he must be pretty good. Not only was he quite brilliant but his understanding of wildlife was broad and deep. Raptor watching was a mutual passion and over the years we shared many great times both in the UK and abroad. He was also the first person to inspire me to look at dragonflies.
I went on to Liverpool University where I was fortunate enough to be able to study hen harrier feeding and distribution. Later I discovered photography which soon became a passion and began to pave the way for me to earn some kind of living.
After doing various "proper" jobs, Linda and myself met up. Linda was already keen on wildlife and has become extremely good at bird i.d. with razor-sharp spotting skills. Linda had graduated from Nottingham University. When she is not co-leading tours with me she works part-time in health promotion.
In between tours I run a number of UK-based activities including a series of workshops on different bird groups - raptors, waders and wildfowl with some new ideas being planned. I also tour all over the country giving lectures to a wide range of societies ranging from RSPB local groups to lecture and photographic societies. When I have time I also contibute articles and photos to such journals as Birdwatching magazine and Birds Illustrated. In the spring and summer I am usually to be found high on the Welsh hills monitoring breeding raptors.
Have a look at my personal website (which is being updated and re-structured - ready soon!) for a more detailed view.
We have travelled extensively to most continents of the world, our favourite destinations being Spain, Africa, Southern USA, India and Australia. Having had some experience of tour-leading. We set up Wild Insights in 2003. We enjoy what we do - helping people to have a great holiday and see plenty of interesting wildlife.
Whatever your level of knowledge or experience,a very warm reception awaits you with Wild Insights.
A range of activites is available:
Courses.
| Here there is a learning element for those who wish to increase their knowledge and identifications skills. I currently run several birdwatching courses at different times of the year at Higham Hall in Cumbria - a fabulous place to spend a few days. I also run a course on wildlife photography at the same venue.
| UK Short Breaks or workshops.
| There has been a growing demand for the workshop series which started with Raptors and now includes Waders & Wildfowl plus "Little Brown Jobs". The idea here is to focus on one of the more difficult groups. We also run more general birdwatching breaks around the UK and tailor-made events for clubs and societies.
| Overseas Tours.
| Since setting up Wild Insights we have established a growing list of locations around the world which in our view offer some of the best bird and wildlife watching. Each year we make a selection from our growing menu which hopefully provides interest for regulars and newcomers alike.
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