First barn owl chick hatches at Len Pick Trust nest box near Bourne

A pair of barn owls occupying a nest box equipped with a video camera have begun to hatch their first chicks of the year.

The first of a clutch of four eggs, which were laid in the second week of May, cracked open on Sunday afternoon (June 7) and just 15 minutes later the tiny youngster emerged.

Owl expert Bob Sheppard, part of the Len Pick Trust project to create and monitor a nesting site for barn owls near Bourne, said: "Mother and chick are doing well, and the father was present throughout."

He added that the other eggs were also due to hatch this week, with a second chick likely to arrive tonight (Tuesday, June 9).

The eggs hatch in approximately two-and-a-half-day intervals. With the volume turned up on the live web feed, it is possible to hear the chicks cheeping in the eggs before hatching.

Last year the adult owls reared two broods, with the second arriving at the end of August. In total, four of their young reached adulthood.

Barn owls are protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

The live camera feed, viewed by thousands of people around the world, can be viewed by clicking here.