An edition of the Tyne Tees Television series on the wildlife of the north presented by Kim Inglis. In the first item a report on pair of Ospreys, Britain's rarest bird of prey, nesting at Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria followed by research being carried out by Newcastle University scientist Sally Singh into Ladybirds assisted by pupils from Ebchester Primary School in County Durham. After the break, a visit to the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast with wildlife artist, and...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television series on the wildlife of the north presented by Kim Inglis. In the first item a report on pair of Ospreys, Britain's rarest bird of prey, nesting at Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria followed by research being carried out by Newcastle University scientist Sally Singh into Ladybirds assisted by pupils from Ebchester Primary School in County Durham. After the break, a visit to the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast with wildlife artist, and police Wildlife Liaison Officer, Paul Henry who enjoys painting the tern, puffins and other birds who live and nest on these islands. Final, Kim joins a group of bat enthusiasts in Middleton-in-Teesdale who are carrying out a bat survey on a colony that includes the rare Whiskered bats living in a former school. Wanted: 'Bat Minders'. That's the plea from County Durham's bat club. The group who are dedicated to caring for injured or orphan bats, and for keeping records of bat roosts in the county are short of volunteers. People are needed who can help out with the many enquiries we get from the public. Group leader, Noel Jackson, is a teacher who lives in Ebchester. 'We get a lot of calls from people who are worried because a bat's flown into their living room, and we need volunteers who can go along and assess the situation, and allay their fears. If more specialist care is needed, the bat minder can call in a licenced bat handler like myself,' says Noel. Kim joins the group on an evening's bat-watching at a former school in Middleton-in-Teesdale. The building is home to a large colony of rare whiskered bats and the plan is to catch some with large nets, before allowing them to fly free. Among those watching as dusk falls are three people who are being groomed to join the group as 'bat minders'. Along with Kim, they get a chance to see these fascinating creatures at close quarters. Also in the programme we join wildlife artist Paul Henry on a trip to the Farne Islands, where he does a water colour painting of a sea view full of terns and kittiwakes. Plus there's a glimpse of Britain's rarest bird of prey, the osprey, at its nest beside a remote lake. And Sally Singh, a Newcastle University research scientist who specialises in bugs of all kinds, tells Kim why she's so enthusiastic about ladybirds. 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