An edition of the Tyne Tees Television series on the wildlife of the north presented by Kim Inglis. In the first report Kim travels to St Abbs in the Scottish Border and a project run by the Marine Conservation Society to encourage divers to understand more about marine life. Next to Brunswick Village near Newcastle where not all the residents are happy to see flocks of starling each evening, some have issues with the mess they make on cars and windows. After the break, a visit to Hareshaw...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television series on the wildlife of the north presented by Kim Inglis. In the first report Kim travels to St Abbs in the Scottish Border and a project run by the Marine Conservation Society to encourage divers to understand more about marine life. Next to Brunswick Village near Newcastle where not all the residents are happy to see flocks of starling each evening, some have issues with the mess they make on cars and windows. After the break, a visit to Hareshaw Linn north of Bellingham in the North Tyne Valley and the work being done by the Northumberland National Park Authority to both study and install nests for Dormouse in the hope on increasing their number. Finally, to a nature reserve in the Tees Valley where Graeme Skinner from Guisborough is on the lookout for the increasing rare grass snake. Dormice are elusive animals, and records of colonies in the region are few and far between. Mammal expert Darren Smith from Hexham hopes to track them down and encourage them to set up home in a local woodland. Dormice love hazel nuts and sleeping. They hibernate for eight months of the year. With the help of the Northumberland National Park, Darren is putting up boxes in a hazel wood where the tiny creatures have been spotted over the last few years. He says: 'We want to give them a real chance to survive.' Grass snakes are harmless, but some people are still suspicious of them, says Graeme Skinner of Guisborough. He advises companies on being more wildlife-friendly and is concerned that the snakes' habitats are being destroyed. 'Once you get to know them they are really interesting and have the most beautiful markings,' he says. And it seems that starlings are not everyone's favourite. In winter they form huge flocks of up to 40,000 birds and at dusk they perform amazing acrobatics across the evening sky. But it's when they start roosting that the trouble starts. Residents of Brunswick Village near Newcastle complain about the mess they make. Credits: Presenter Kim Inglis Camera Lee Sutterby Music John Cook Graphics Jon King Dubbing Mixer Andy Ludbrook Editor David Hindmarsh Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Producer Charles Bowden. © Tyne Tees Television 2003 A CBTV production for Tyne Tees Television. Granada