MORE than 20 people braved the early start as The Watercress Way charity held its fourth Dawn to Dusk Day.

The dawn chorus walkers met in Martyr Worthy in darkness at 4.30am to start the day, and by sunrise the group were alongside the river having heard or seen a record 36 bird species.

Then, tempted by a great ride, as well as coffee and cake at The Cricketers in Alresford, a team of mountain bikers set off from Sutton Scotney to cover the 26 miles around The Watercress Way bike route.

Among other events, the ‘Ultra Runners’ took on a marathon too, stopping at some of the sponsoring cafes and pubs around the route while raising money for Parkinsons UK.

Jackie Porter, chairman of the charity, said: “Our Dawn to Dusk Days raise the profile of the charity and offer a wide range of activities to learn something new, enjoy the countryside and heritage around us and to be active.”