A FREQUENT visitor to a reservoir in Hexham has become the star of a charity calendar.

The heron, which became a regular sight at Wydon Water reservoir during lockdown, is on the front cover of the Tyne Rivers Trust 2022 charity calendar.

The image was taken by Hexham resident Malcolm Rae.

He said: "I'd seen the heron for quite a few weeks so when I was next going on a walk to the reservoir, I thought I'd grab my camera in case I could get a shot of it.

"It's fantastic that it's ended up on the front cover."

The image was picked alongside 11 other images showing the wildlife and rivers of the Tyne catchment, including a red squirrel at Allenheads.

The calendar is sold to raise money to support the work the Trust does to improve the river through education, tackling pollution and practical conservation work.

Ceri Gibson, CEO of Tyne Rivers Trust, said: "It's incredible to see the quality of entries that our competition attracts each year.

"The Tyne catchment is home to some beautiful stretches and outstanding wildlife and I think this year's calendar really reflects that."

The production costs of the calendar have been covered by Egger.

The calendar can be bought form the Trust’s online shop via tyneriverstrust.org. It is also stocked by Hexham Abbey gift shop, Forum books in Corbridge and Barrasford Village Shop.