WILDLIFE guardians breathed a sigh of relief after rare birds of prey successfully reared young – despite the nest being next to the Weymouth Relief Road construction site.

It is the second year running marsh harriers have bred in the centre of Weymouth – a remarkable event say experts.

The discovery of the protected nest on the RSPB-managed Lodmoor reserve last month prompted the charity to ask Dorset County Council and road builders Skanska to stop work that could disturb the site.

An exclusion zone was set up and particularly noisy or vibrating works halted.

Relief road bosses insisted progress on the multi-million pound carriageway has not been held up as they have got on with work in other areas.

The juvenile birds have now been seen flying and being taught to hunt by their parents.

RSPB Weymouth Wetlands reserves manager Nick Tomlinson is delighted the chicks have been reared without any disturbance to the nest while Dorset County Council said it was an ‘excellent outcome.’ Mr Tomlinson said the nest’s location so near to major construction works was ‘far from ideal’ but efforts to protect the site had paid off.

The exclusion zone is now being lifted but Mr Tomlinson said he would prefer it if the zone was kept in place until the end of the month when the birds will have left the nest for good and begun to lead independent lives.

Marsh harriers are rarer than golden eagles so a breeding pair gets experts very excited.

They tend to live around marshes in the Fens of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

A pair bred at the Radipole reserve in Weymouth last year – the first to do so in Dorset for almost 50 years.

Mr Tomlinson said: “We now have at least two new juveniles which is great news for the survival of this beautiful and rare bird of prey as well as great news for the RSPB reserves in Weymouth and for the town itself.

“We really hope that these birds will become a permanent feature of the Weymouth Wetlands and we are already in conversation with Dorset County Council to ensure the best possible measures are put in place to safeguard the site and its wildlife, making sure that future disturbance is prevented.”

Dorset County Council Natural Environment Manager Dr Phil Sterling said the nest had been continually monitored.

He added: “The whole workforce was briefed about the birds and everyone on site did their bit to ensure these birds were protected while nesting.

“We have now been able to remove the works exclusion zone and there are no further restrictions on working methods which were put in place to prevent disturbance to the nesting pair of marsh harriers.”