A rare protected bird has hatched chicks on Mersea Island for the first time in living memory.
Walkers at Cudmore Grove Country Park, East Mersea, can spot the young avocet finding their feet on the neighbouring saltmarsh.
Avocets stopped breeding in Britain for almost 100 years from 1842, with egg-collecting and taxidermy blamed for their disappearance.
Their gradual return to the east coast has been hailed as a major conservation triumph by the RSPB, and there are now an estimated 130 breeding pairs in Essex.
The birds have nested on Mersea for the past few years but failed to produce any young.
Cudmore Grove ranger Dougal Urquhart told the Gazette: "They have tried a few times on farmland but foxes or crows must have got the eggs.
"It is great they have nested at the park as it is a public area where people will be able to see them."
To catch a glimpse of the avocets, head to the park and look east over the sea wall towards Brightlingsea.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article