Bird watchers have been flocking to New Mills in Ledbury with the unexpected arrival of rare visitors from Scandinavia.

Starling-sized birds called waxwings, seen only infrequently in this part of the world, have been spotted on the estate.

Ledbury bird watcher Norman Selkirk said New Mills was "buzzing with twitchers", some from as far afield as Wales, on Sunday.

Mr Selkirk said: "I saw my first waxwing on Monday afternoon. We counted eight on one tree, and four more elsewhere."

Strangely, the waxwings seem to have targeted the New Mills estate for their visit, especially around New Mills Road and Brooke Road.

Mr Selkirk, who said he was "quite excited" by the birds' arrival, said if the migrants are seen at all in the UK, it is normally to the east of the country.

He added: "Every so often, ten or 15 years or so, you get what is called an eruption of waxwings. They come out in huge numbers and spread west in search of food."

Waxwings get their name from the red tips on the end of their wings, which resemble the colour of traditional sealing wax.