VINYL fans will be treated to a peculiar set-list at a museum evening, high-fidelity recordings of humpback whales and birdsong.

The Wildlife Discotheque takes place at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle on Friday, September 1

Visitors can expect to hear obscure 1970s vinyl releases such as Songs of the Humpback Whale and British Wild Birds in Stereo alongside other oddities from BBC sound effects LPs.

The event aims to shine a light on the best and strangest nature recordings, an art form which is often overlooked and under appreciated.

Among the highlights are the back catalogue of Sparkie Williams, a famous Tyneside talking budgerigar with a vocabulary of 553 words and 353 phrases who won a BBC competition in 1958.

The Wildlife Discotheque is the brainchild of Soundart Radio founder Chris Booth and his DJs Nathan Carter and Tony Whitehead. They join forces with Michael McHugh of Tyneside Sounds Society as they take their unusual evening on the road.

Listeners can also expect a blast from the past in the shape of recordings from Johnny Morris, presenter of long-running children’s TV show Animal Magic.

Booth has spent decades scouring car boot sales and charity shops to amass the oddities on the turntable for the evening.

Mr Whitehead said: “Not knowing if there was an audience for such an eclectic and obscure mix of sounds, we were pleasantly surprised when our first night attracted a crowd.

“I didn’t notice dancing, but we did have a couple of requests.”

Advance tickets are on sale now via the Great North Museum: Hancock website at £3. Tickets on the door will cost £4 and children aged under 16 go free.