Birdwatching from the comfort of home

Bird lovers from all over the world keep abreast of the day-to-day lives of feathered friends from the comfort of home, courtesy of a series of webcams.

Simply by logging on to the website of nature protection group Vivara, armchair twitchers can access a range of webcams set up at nesting sites, and next to feeding stations.

The webcams follow the daily activities of the animals. Chicks have recently hatched in the webcam-watched nests of owls, storks, peregrines, blue tits and kingfishers - while there are eggs waiting to hatch in an eagle's nest. Webcams are currently at locations in the Netherlands and UK, though not France at the moment.

Regular updates and clips are also posted on the website's Facebook page