YOUNGSTERS in Haworth have been given a fascinating insight into the lives of fledgling birds and their parents.

Pupils at Haworth Primary School have been able to watch a group of blue tits hatch and develop thanks to a video feed, which broadcasts the nesting box's interior to a screen in their school library.

The box itself is mounted on the outside of the school building, near the nursery.

Haworth Primary head teacher, Helen Thompson, said: "The children have been doing bird diaries to record the progress of the young birds from start to finish. It's been a great learning experience for them.

"The parent birds had laid eight eggs and seven of these hatched on the last day before the half term holidays.

"There are two chicks left now, and we're observing the adult birds flying back and forth to bring food for them.

"We've seen that the strongest chicks have been those which can put their heads up high enough to get at the food, while the weaker chicks tend to get trampled on.

"The children have found it really interesting. They really enjoy coming into the library, observing how the birds are changing and predicting what they think will happen next.

"The library is right in the centre of the school, so everyone who walks through it can stop to look at the screen and see what's going on."