The adult pair and their five newly-hatched chicks h(ve been captured on camera at Yorkshire Water's: award-winning Tophill Low nature reserve near Driffield.

The spotted flycatcher has become an increasingly rare visitor to our shores, with few people catching more than a passing glimpse as it darts around searching for insects.

But at Tophill Low, live footage beamed directly into the visitor centre from the nest shelf allows visitors to get up close and personal with the birds.

Since the pair arrived back at the site in May after spending their winter in central Africa, visitors have been able to observe them as. they first went about artfully crafting a family nest, before the female settled down at the end of the month to lay her eggs. And, by June 18, visitors watching the nest had more than just two adults to watch, with five very small and very hungry chicks hatching.

Richard Hampshire, warden at Tophill Low, said: "The quality of the footage is absolutely perfect, giving visitors to the site unrivalled footage of one of the UK's most threatened bird species rearing its chicks.

"The new additions have certainly been keeping mother and father busy, with the pair making around 1,500 trips every day to forage for food, often returning each time with at least a dozen flies to sustain their rapidly growing young."

While spotted flycatchers are becoming increasingly rare in the UK, they seem to be thriving at Tophill Low with Mr Hampshire aware of at least one more pair to have taken up residence at the site.

Tophill Low nature reserve is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 9am to
4pm. Admission is currently £2.50 for adults and £1 for concessions.

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For further information, visit Richard Hampshire's seasonal diary.