If you’ve visited us in the past couple of weeks chances are you’ll have been treated to some wonderful views of avocets and their chicks (and you’ll know how excited we all are about it!). Avocet chicks are completely adorable; tiny little bundles of fuzz with a miniature bill on these little legs!
How cute are they? Photos thanks to Time Jones.
There are three chicks visible from Pickup hide and up to seven have been seen getting really close up to the duck feeding platform. One family made a daring expedition over to Lin Dike last week; one little chick trekked across the footpaths and swum across lakes in a journey covering nearly two miles!
This isn't the intrepid chick, but that's a long way for little legs! Photo thanks to Tim Jones.
Many of us have been surprised by how aggressive their parents are in seeing off other birds; you wouldn't expect it from such an elegant looking bird! One visitor told us they saw an avocet going up against a heron!
Good parenting! Photo thanks to Tim Jones.
The avocets aren't the only cute chicks around at the minute! There are some really sweet cygnets at the duck platform bobbing about in the water. There's also been a great spotted woodpecker feeding its chick from the fat balls at Pickup, as well as hungry sand martin chicks poking their heads out of the nests in the sand martin wall waiting for food.
So if it's something cute you're after, get yourself over to Fairburn Ings and see what you can see!