Dorset Wildlife Trust is celebrating the return of the popular live RaptorCams this month.

They have now been re-occupied by nesting pairs of barn and tawny owls, both of which are already sitting on eggs and being watched live by viewers from all over the globe.

First installed in 2010, the live webcam feed has featured breeding pairs of barn owls, kestrels, tawny owls and buzzards.

The popular barn owl couple Bob and Brenda have returned to the nest box and are now sitting on three eggs, to the delight of their dedicated fans.

Not only are the loved-up barn owls doing well, but the live cameras also feature a pair of nesting tawny owls named affectionately Twit and Twoo, who are also sitting on three precious eggs.

Samantha Dallimore, community conservation officer at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “It’s fantastic that both barn and tawny owls are nesting on the reserve again this spring and a real treat that we can follow their progress.

“The tawny owl chicks should hatch any time from next week, then leave the nest box after a further 30 days, climbing out of the box using their beak and talons.

“They then wait for food deliveries from mum and dad, each day moving further along the branches, until eventually they fledge and fly away at just over five weeks old.

“The barn owls’ first egg should hatch around tomorrow or the next day.

“They don’t leave the nest until they have all their plumage and are at least nine or ten weeks old and could continue to roost in the box for another two to five weeks, so they should still be there into July,” she added.

The nest boxes the owls have made home are located at Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Lorton Meadows Nature Reserve.

The live RaptorCams can be watched online, 24 hours a day, at dorsetwildlifetrust .org.uk/owl