WILDLIFE TALK: KITTIWAKES ALONG THE TYNE AND NE COAST

It is a pleasure to welcome back keen ornithologist Dan Turner, a good friend of the Old Low Light Heritage Centre.

Dan, who has spent some decades studying kittiwakes along the Tyne and coast trying to expand his knowledge, will give a wide-ranging talk.

Firstly, he will share information about population size and breeding productivity at different nesting sites. This will include his thoughts on differences in productivity which he recorded along the River Tyne during 2025.

Secondly, he will explain about some work he has been undertaking with a student from Northumbria University at the Dove Marine Laboratory (Newcastle University), focusing on beached kittiwakes. Dan has been researching beached birds in Northeast England for more than 20 years in order to learn more about the impact of marine pollution. He coordinates the regional beached bird group.

Finally, as an expert advising on the nesting arrangements for kittiwakes on the Tyne Bridge during its renovation, he will provide an update on observations during the first two years of this work. He is acting secretary of the Tyne Kittiwake Partnership.

Dan, a published author on river and coast birds, is passionate about protecting wildlife and is currently planning a ‘plastic warriors’ event to take place at the Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle in April 2026.

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