VISITORS to Malham Cove have just two weeks left to get close up to a family of peregrine falcons.

A pair of birds – the fastest animals on the planet – have built a nest on the cliff face and are busy teaching their three offspring how to hunt on the wing.

For the 12th year, RSPB and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) staff and volunteers have been running a special, free viewing point where visitors to the cove can watch the spectacular birds through high-powered telescopes.

But the viewpoint, which opened in April, will close next Sunday, August 2, and won’t reopen until next year.

National park authority wildlife conservation officer Ian Court said: “Last year the nesting pair produced four youngsters and this year there are three, so that is great news. They have provided hours of pleasure for the people watching them get to grips with the tricky art of flying and hunting.

“The birds are a fantastic attraction for Malham – so far more than 10,000 people have been to the viewpoint, which is good news for the local economy.”

The viewpoint is open from Saturdays to Wednesday between 10.30am and 4.30pm (weather permitting).