CONCERN is growing for the welfare of a pair of rare nesting birds because the weather may be making it difficult for them to catch food.

The colourful bee-eaters, normally found in southern Europe and North Africa, have captured the imagination of the birdwatching world since they settled at a disused quarry near Bishop Middleham, County Durham.

It is the first time that a pair of bee-eaters has nested in the UK for almost 50 years.

The birds hatched chicks last week and the adults have been actively feeding their young since then.

The bee-eaters normally catch insects in flight to feed their chicks, but are unlikely to be on the wing in the torrential rain.

The chicks themselves should be protected from the worst of the weather as they are still in their underground nest burrow, excavated in a sand bank.

David Hirst, of the RSPB North of England Regional Office, said: "We are certainly concerned for the bee-eaters at the moment, given the appalling weather. This is a crucial time for the chicks, when the adult birds should be delivering regular supplies of food.

"We are just hoping that the bee-eaters can successfully get through this current spell of awful weather and that warmer, drier and more settled conditions arrive very soon."

The bee-eaters are nesting at the Durham Wildlife Trust's Bishop Middleham Quarry nature reserve, near Sedgefield.

The RSPB and wildlife trust have set up a public viewing scheme at nearby Farnless Farm. where it is hoped visitors will continue to be able to watch the bee-eaters.