Tune in to Tynan TV this summer

Forget entertainment streaming services – Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre has a new method of showcasing life on one of Druridge Bay’s most busy reserves – and it’s already proving quite entertaining.

The 26-hectare/64-acre reserve now has Tynan TV, named after Tony Tynan, the charity’s founder, running throughout the day on a new screen in the visitor centre’s reception.

Hauxley reserve was always a favourite with Tony who formed Northumberland Wildlife Trust in 1971 and went on to create the Hauxley nature reserve in the 1980s following his involvement in the acquisition of the land from British Coal. He remained as the charity’s Vice President until his death in 2018.

A generous donation from Tony’s family has enabled the Trust to install four wildlife cameras to capture daily life around the reserve, as well as purchase a new computer to process the live filming together with the new screen.

Now members of the public can sit in reception and watch wildlife at their leisure and for anybody who doesn’t want to walk around the site, or who may find it difficult, it’s a wonderful way of seeing what’s going on around them.

In the first few weeks since the installation of the system, red squirrels, deer, stoats, and weasels have been spotted together with bullfinches, tree sparrows and sparrow hawks on the bird feeders and a pair of stock doves that took up residence in one of the tawny owl boxes and raised three chicks.

In addition to the installation of the TV system, part of the donation will help fund ongoing conservation work at Druridge Bay.

“What a wonderful way to ensure Tony’s legacy lives on than with the installation of Tynan TV. Tony was a conservation pioneer who believed that everybody should have access to nature, so this is a wonderful addition to the Wildlife Discovery Centre. He was a familiar face at Hauxley and is still missed by me and the team.

“One thing is guaranteed, viewing is always interesting and entertaining so come and see it for yourself this summer.”

Alex Lister; Northumberland Wildlife Trust Druridge Bay Landscapes Manager