Rare Montagu's harriers in sight

Telescopes will be set up to view the Montagu's harriers

The previously secret site of the UK's rarest nesting bird of prey, the Montagu's harrier, is to be revealed to the public on Saturday.

As the bird's eggs are highly prized by collectors, the site has been a closely guarded secret of the RSPB.

But now that the chicks have hatched, specially mounted telescopes on the Lincolnshire coast near Boston have been set up for public viewing.

For the first time, a pair of the birds with their young can be seen easily.

"With no more than a dozen pairs of Montagu's harrier nesting in England each year, it is the rarest breeding bird of prey in the UK and up to now it has been difficult to obtain good views of this bird," said Steve Rowland, the RSPB's public affairs manager for Eastern England, said.

Fully Monty

"Because the eggs of the Montagu's harrier are highly prized by egg collectors, we've had to keep the nest site a secret."

The watch point has been organised by the RSPB under the Aren't Birds Brilliant scheme, which runs dozens of projects across the UK, aimed at encouraging people to take a closer interest in birds.

The RSPB Montagu's harrier viewpoint - The Fully Monty - is at College Farm Frampton Marsh, Boston, Lincolnshire until 15 August.