A FAMILY of barn owls in North Yorkshire have become an internet success after their nest was streamed live on YouTube.

Three-week-old owlets, Hans and Grete, and their parents, Gylfie and Barney, caught the attention of viewers around the world as they were filmed going about their daily lives, sleeping, feeding, nodding and stretching.

Wildlife artist and Gazette & Herald columnist Robert E Fuller began live-streaming the nest two weeks ago and already subscribers to his channel have increased from 60,000 to 108,000, earning it a "silver play button" accolade from YouTube.

The owl action, streamed onto the artist’s YouTube channel, is now watched by an average of 60,000 viewers a day, with more than 300 viewers tuning in from around the world at every given moment.

“People are so interested in watching what happens in the owl nest, some of them even pull all-nighters to ensure they don't miss a moment of the owls’ lives as they sleep, feed and brood their young chicks,” said Mr Fuller, of Thixendale.

“But it’s not all humdrum. It can get very exciting. Last month one of the older owlets actually ate its sibling – you don’t get more nail-biting drama than that."

Owlets, Grete and Hans, are the second barn owl brood to have hatched in the artist’s garden this season, after only one chick from their first brood survived. This makes them of particular interest since barn owls are protected birds in the UK.

Mr Fuller uses cameras to study owls, kestrels, stoats and buzzards for his paintings. He streams the action onto screens in his art gallery in Thixendale so that visitors can understand his process.

He said: “The viewers are global, ranging from here in the UK to the US, Canada, Columbia, Bahrain, China and Hungary – and they’ve become friends, some of them, as they say goodnight, asking those that are just waking up to let them know what they’ve missed when they wake up.”

The artist, whose research into stoat behaviour two years ago informed a major BBC documentary on mustelids and who also contributes to BBC’s The One Show, plans to extend his live-streaming next year.

See the barn owl family live on Robert E Fuller’s YouTube Channel @Robert E Fuller, or visit the artist’s gallery in Thixendale, for all his live cameras. Visits to the gallery are by appointment only. Visit robertefuller.com to book a free timed slot.