Bird fans have the chance to watch live footage from the New Forest of one of Britain's rarest visiting birds of prey.

With goshawk chicks having flown the nest, the popular “Date with Nature raptorcam” has turned its attention to the latest summer visitor.

About 2,200 pairs of hobbies fly from Africa to the UK every summer to breed and the New Forest is a stronghold for them in the south.

Until September 1, a camera will be placed in their nests, beaming live footage into the Reptile Centre, near Lynd-hurst, online for people to enjoy.

The hobby nest has two chicks in it, which hatched in the middle of July. The well-placed camera will give a rare insight into their private lives as they raise their chicks to first flight.

Jeremy Peters, Date with Nature officer for the RSPB South East, said: “Having a nestcam on a hobby nest is fantastic news.

“We weren’t sure if it would happen, as we haven’t had a successful hobby nest since 2009. To have a nest this year is brilliant after a four-year wait and just in time for the start the summer holiday.

“The staff and volunteers are really excited about being able to watch the two young chicks grow and hopefully fledge off the nest. The hobby is such a great bird to watch in flight and at the nest, and this nestcam provides a rare opportunity to see this.”

Peter Dobson, from Carnyx Wild which provides and maintains the raptorcam equipment, said this year’s nestcam was state-of-the art, adding: “The only way we were able to consider this remote nest was due to new technology.”