There's no place like cone for this fluffy bunch of fledglings whose lives began in an unusual place .... normally used for driving people away rather then welcoming them in.

For a pair of Great Tits and their new family had their nest under a traffic cone in the grounds of Holt Hall.

Head gardener at the 87-acre field studies centre in North Norfolk, Chris Blake, said 'I went to move the cone before cutting the grass three weeks ago, and when I lifted it up there in nine eggs in a nest.'

When he checked the cosy nesting place again a couple of weeks later they had all hatched out and there were nine chicks in there instead.

'The parents have been going in and out, and one of them was up in the tree making a noise when I moved the cone.

'We kept quiet about it, because if we put up a sign everybody would have been nosing in.'

The cone was on grass on the right hand side of the drive down to the hall, which had lots of passing traffic.

Mr Blake said there were other Blue Tit nests in walls, but it was the most unusual location he had known during his three years at the hall.

The birds had now flown the nest, which was quite a relief as the centre was hosting a busy weekend Fairy Fair event attracting scores of children.