An edition of the Tyne Tees Television series on the wildlife of the north presented by Kim Inglis. This edition begins with Nick Rossiter from Hexham who has been conducting research since 1990 into Buzzard in Northumberland and has seen a steady increase in numbers. Next to a river near Morpeth in Northumberland and the return of a female otter that was abandoned a pup a year earlier and has been looked after by local wildlife experts. Will she acclimatize to being back on the river? After...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television series on the wildlife of the north presented by Kim Inglis. This edition begins with Nick Rossiter from Hexham who has been conducting research since 1990 into Buzzard in Northumberland and has seen a steady increase in numbers. Next to a river near Morpeth in Northumberland and the return of a female otter that was abandoned a pup a year earlier and has been looked after by local wildlife experts. Will she acclimatize to being back on the river? After the break, Kim travels to the beaches of Beadnell in Northumberland to see the work of two wardens employed by the National Trust to watch over a colony of nesting little terns day-and-night from the threats from predators such as the kestrel. Finally, from County Durham a report on Badger baiting and the work of local conservation group the Durham Badger Group to locate and protect these animals. A baby orphan otter which was rescued by conservationist. The otter was spotted by Northumberland animal-lover Richard Cansdale struggling in a freezing river in the depths of winter. There were no signs of its parents so he took it home to revive it. The animal then spent the next 12 months growing up at a secluded wildlife centre in Hampshire. When it was fully mature, it was taken back to the river where it was first found. The plan was to keep it in a pen on the river bank for 28 days so that it could become acclimatised to the area. However, the young animal had other ideas - within minutes of arriving it had broken out of the pen and was swimming away up river. The escape was filmed by our Wild North cameraman. Presenter KIM INGLIS accompanied Kevin O'Hara from the Northumberland Wildlife Trust to the river near Morpeth to look for signs of the otter. Kevin admitted: 'The best-laid plans don't always work out and the otter got away before we were really ready. 'But there is plenty of evidence that it has settled back on its river, so we feel it's worked out all right in the end.' There's also a report on the impressive rise in the number of buzzards in Northumberland. Nick Rossiter, from Hexham, who has been following their increase since 1990, says there are now 100 pairs of buzzards in the county. Ten years ago there were none. The increase in these spectacular birds of prey is partly due to the growth of the rabbit population. Another factor is a greater tolerance being shown by gamekeepers. In years gone by, they used to persecute buzzards because they regarded them as a threat to young pheasants. Kim also visits a stretch of coastline near Beadnell in North Northumberland which is home to a colony of rare little terns in spring and summer. Because these birds and their chicks are at risk from predators like foxes, kestrels and crows they are guarded day and night by two wardens employed by the National Trust, who own the site. Credits: Presenter Kim Inglis Camera Lee Sutterby Dubbing Mixer Andy Ludbrook Editor David Hindmarsh Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Producer Charles Bowden CBTV production for Tyne Tees Television A Tyne Tees Television Presentation. Granada. © Tyne Tees Television MMI