EXCITEMENT is building at a Yorkshire Dales peregrine falcon nesting site as news spreads of new arrivals.

Staff and volunteers from RSPB and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority at Malham Cove have confirmed there are chicks in the cliff-face nest of two peregrine falcons – but as yet they do not know how many there are.

The falcons have been busy hunting for food for their chicks, giving visitors to the free peregrine viewpoint at the foot of the cove plenty to get excited about.

National park authority wildlife conservation officer Ian Court said: “Because the nest is hidden, we don’t yet know how many chicks are in it.

“Last year the pair raised four – which was great news – so we are hoping for that kind of number this year.

“Once the chicks start growing and moving around, we will know how many there are and we should be seeing them in the air in the next few weeks."

The viewpoint will be open from Saturdays to Wednesday inclusive between 10.30am and 4.30pm until August 2 and visitors to can watch the spectacular birds through high-powered telescopes.

As in previous years, people are being asked to stay away from the nest site, and the British Mountaineering Council has once again agreed to impose temporary, voluntary rock climbing restrictions around it.

As well as the peregrines, green woodpeckers and great spotted woodpeckers are frequent visitors and the first house martins and redstarts, swallows and little owls are expected soon.

For information visit www.malhamperegrines.org.uk, @malhamperegrine and on the RSPB’s Facebook pages.