A survey will be take place next week to find out more about the whereabouts of kittiwakes nesting on the Tyne.

Kittiwakes are a species of gull, which normally nest on high seacliffs. They are the most ocean-going of the UK's gulls and spend most of their lives out at sea.

UK-nesting kittiwakes have been reported from as far away as Newfoundland in winter. Unusually, a number of kittiwakes nest on buildings around the Tyne and those nesting on the Tyne Bridge are thought to be the most inland nesting kittiwakes in the world.

Kittiwakes are also known to nest on the BU Powder Coatings/Akzo Nobel building - formerly International Paints - on the Gateshead riverside.

The survey, which has been organised by Peter Shield, of Gateshead Council, will help locate other nesting kittiwakes.

As some of the potential kittiwake nest sites are not visible from land, the survey will be taking place on board the Port of Tyne vessel.

The survey comes against a background of several years of breeding failure for east coast kittiwakes.