Nature has returned to parks of Suffolk and north Essex in unexpected places – such as these birds now living in car park payment machine.

Essex Country Parks have been closed since March 22, just before Boris Johnson addressed the nation and the country entered lockdown.

Now, almost eight weeks later, the car parks in those parks have some new residents – a collection of birds that have built nests inside the unused car park payment machines.

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The photographer, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “There are machines with nests in the top and bottom, like an upstairs and downstairs.

“There was a row of the machines with nests in and it looked like some of them had eggs as well, so I didn’t want to get too close and disturb them.”

The photographer said he saw blue tits nesting there and believes sparrows and robins may be as well, but wanted to keep the exact location of the machines a secret to protect the birds.

He added: “It’s amazing to see how quickly nature moves back into spaces like this.”