Walkers at a woodland burial park went on the hunt for birds to help build a picture of rare species nationwide.

They joined conservationists in the hike across the 52-acre Epping Forest Woodland Burial Park in Kiln Road, North Weald, to count the birds on Saturday.

The park’s woodland manager, Julia Rolf, said: “We saw about 20 species of birds and we also saw grass snakes and a slow worm, which was great.

“We saw a few tree creepers, which are small woodland birds that climb up and down the trunks of trees eating the insects, and we also saw a greater spotted woodpecker.”

The results of the walk, as well as counts done by other visitors to the park on the day, will be entered into the British Trust for Ornithology’s national online database.