BIRD watchers in the region are being treated to increasing sightings of an elegant bird of prey which has only been an infrequent visitor for hundreds of years.

The hobby, one of Britain's rarest birds, has long been established in southern England and now the evidence suggests it is heading north.

According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, sightings of hobby in County Durham have gone up although there are no reports of breeding in the county.

The latest bird report for Northumberland, based on 1999 sightings, reported four breeding pairs in the south-west, with two pairs each successfully raising one young.

There have also been reports of the birds in Yorkshire.

David Hirst of the RSPB's regional office said: "They seem to be a species which is gradually moving further north, but they are quite rare birds still so people are pretty tight-lipped about exact locations. They are a delightful bird and a lovely bird to have."

Hobbies, which resemble a miniature peregrine falcon and prefer heathland, feed in the air and can often be seen chasing insects.

Indeed, Mr Hirst believes the presence of increasing numbers of dragonflies in the north may be tempting the birds to spread because the insects are an important part of their diet.

As reported previously in Northern Eco, the recent rise in temperatures as part of climate change have seen several dragonfly species breaking out of southern strongholds to become established in the North-East and North Yorkshire.

Mr Hirst said another factor may be the increasing number of stick nests created by carrion crows, which hobbies use as ready-made homes.