A crowd of bird enthusiasts attended the official opening of a newly-refurbished bird hide at Millbrook Garden Centre near Gravesend earlier this month.
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) representative Malcolm Jennings cut the ceremonial ribbon on the day.

Millbrook's outdoor facilities manager Graham Huckstep said: "The award-winning bird hide and wildlife area, which was created over two years ago, is now coming into its own and local wildlife is really reaping the benefits.

"We wanted to make it even more of a feature at the garden centre and inspire our customers in a fun and visual way to make their own gardens wildlife-friendly. We gutted the hide and revamped the inside to make it a one-of-a-kind hide, a very exciting place to be.

"We hope more people pop in to see the refurbished hide and are encouraged to make their own gardens wildlife-friendly."

Inside the hide are illustrations by Kirsty Mauritz, a bird and plant identification wall, while a chalk board section allows staff and customers to list wildlife they spot each day. There is also a bird cam set up to record wildlife activity.

"The hide is now full of visual information for all ages to enjoy," added Mr Huckstep. "It explains all about the wildlife area the hide looks on to. Our aim is for it to be a fun learning space for families."

The opening, which also included an appearance by Ricky the man-sized robin, and a treasure hunt, was timed to coincide with National Nest Box Week.