Film-maker focused on kayak expedition to record seabirds

ADARTMOOR film-maker and expedition leader is embarking on his most ambitious project – attempting to capture the complete soundtrack of every species of Scottish seabird.

Roland Arnison has worked around the world, including leading British Exploring Society and Biosphere Expeditions trips to some of the world’s most remote locations and landscapes.

Now the 53-year-old is swapping the South West for the west coast of Scotland for a three-month sea kayaking voyage to attempt to discover and record all 25 species of Scottish seabirds, while also carrying out practical research for the British Trust for Ornithology.

“This is very much a personal quest but with an important environmental goal,” he said.

“There has been a shocking decline in most of Scotland’s seabird populations over the last 20 years, and they need all the support we can give. This project will not only feed into vital work to monitor and record populations of Scottish seabirds, but I hope will draw attention to their plight, and remind us of their beauty and essential place they hold in an increasingly fragile environment.”

The Call of the Loon expedition will involve hundreds of miles of paddling on open water, including the rarely completed 40-mile crossing from North Uist to St Kilda, and wild camping on remote islands.

Starting at Oban this month, Arnison’s route will take him to seabird colonies throughout the Western Isles with him aiming to complete the project by August.

Puffins, terns, gulls and shearwaters are among about 25 species of

❝❝

This is very much a personal quest but with an important environmental goal

Roland Arnison

seabird he hopes to encounter.

Adhering to industry standards of minimal impact filming and recording, Arnison aims to build a comprehensive picture of the seabirds that make the west coast of Scotland their spring and summer home, as part of a radio documentary and film.

Arnison, who lives near Moretonhampstead, first bought a kayak more than 20 years ago. Aside from expeditions around the globe, he has been exploring Britain’s coasts by kayak ever since, including circumnavigating Mull and crossing the Minch.

“The Call of the Loon will be a challenging expedition for me. I’m a film-maker and any solo expedition of this nature is demanding. I will be paddling alone for days on end, something I have never experienced before.

“It will be the seabirds that keep me going, the search for all the species on my list and researching them and the simple pleasure of spending time in their world.”

» See rolandarnison.co.uk/call-ofthe-loon-expedition. Updates at the Call of the Loon blog at https://bit. ly/Call_of_the_Loon

⟫Roland Arnison is kayaking the west coast of Scotland on a research mission to record seabirds