  Results are presented of the first blind HI survey of the M81 group of
galaxies. The data were taken as part of the HI Jodrell All Sky Survey
(HIJASS). The survey reveals several new aspects to the complex morphology of
the HI distribution in the group. All four of the known dwarf irregular (dIrr)
galaxies close to M81 can be unambiguously seen in the HIJASS data. Each forms
part of the complex tidal structure in the area. We suggest that at least three
of these galaxies may have formed recently from the tidal debris in which they
are embedded. The structure connecting M81 to NGC2976 is revealed as a single
tidal bridge of mass approx. 2.1 x 10^8 Msol and projected spatial extent
approx. 80 kpc. Two `spurs' of HI projecting from the M81 complex to lower
declinations are traced over a considerably larger spatial and velocity extent
than by previous surveys. The dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies BK5N and Kar 64
lie at the spatial extremity of one of these features and appear to be
associated with it. We suggest that these may be the remnants of dIrrs which
has been stripped of gas and transmuted into dEs by close gravitational
encounters with NGC3077. The nucleated dE galaxy Kar 61 is unambiguously
detected in HI for the first time and has an HI mass of approx.10^8 Msol,
further confirming it as a dE/dIrr transitional object. HIJASS has revealed one
new possible group member, HIJASS J1021+6842. This object contains approx. 2 x
10^7 Msol of HI and lies approx.105arcmin from IC2574. It has no optical
counterpart on the Digital Sky Survey.
