If you have watched a kestrel hovering over a grass verge and wanted to find out more about these intriguing birds of prey, now you can get up close and personal with a pair.

Kestrel-cam, unveiled by the RSPB at its Arne reserve, allows an intimate glimpse into the lives of a nesting pair.

In the first live stream from the Purbeck reserve, a camera has been set up in a nesting box, where the birds have been hatching chicks every year since 2009.

The hen bird is currently sitting on five eggs, the first of which was laid on April 17. They will take 32 days to hatch and the chicks will take a further 32 days to fly the nest.

“The eggs will hatch one at a time and that will give us a good month’s worth of action,” said warden Mark Singleton. “It’s going to provide a good lengthy period to watch them where people can follow the story.”

But be warned, the stream on the RSPB Arne website may not be X-rated but feathers can fly and matters can get quite gruesome on the nest.

Despite the reptiles and small creatures brought in as food, not all the chicks will survive.

“I’m sure all five will hatch but all five won’t get off,” said Mark. “Last year they laid five eggs as well. Four hatched. Unfortunately they got two off and the others succumbed to the cold and wet weather. They got fed to the other chicks – recycled.”

Once the most common bird of prey in the UK, kestrels are now in decline. Mark is hoping the live video will be a hit with bird lovers, who will be able to discuss what they see on a community forum.

And after the kestrels fly the nest he has plans to show barn owl chicks, then swallows and the camera will be live all winter, focused on bird feeders.

“Next year we are hoping to stream the hobby – that would be awesome,” he said.

To watch the kestrels clickhere