NATURE-lovers were up bright and early to catch a glimpse of some of the county's early birds.

A group set out to investigate the feathered friends of Hereford Nature Trust’s Doward reserves in Ross-on-Wye last week, where they spotted more unusual birds, including woodpeckers, nuthatches, song thrushes and tree pipits.

The event was part of a year-long programme called Discovering the Doward.

Organised by the trust, the programme aims to highlight the area, which sits within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Eight expert-led walks are planned to take place around the Doward up until November.

These include a family bug hunt, an orchid walk, a tree and shrub identification walk and an archaeology and history tour.

Walks will be restricted to 20 people per walk and there will be a charge for events.

For more information visit www.herefordshirewt.org.