Is it a bird, is it a plane, or is it a whale flying above Herefordshire?

A Hereford Times Camera Club member has captured pictures of what is surely the world's most distinctive and fun-looking plane flying over the county.

The Airbus Beluga XL is a giant transporter plane that is deliberately designed to look like the whale, as you can see from the pictures.

It is by no means a common sight as it is still undergoing trials and is not due to go into service until later this year.

But eagle-eyed Camera Club member Belinda Olsen captured it on film not once, but twice, within the space of a few days.

She took the first picture from Hereford on Saturday and took a second on Thursday, both times capturing the iconic design.

The XL is a bigger version of the A300-600ST (Super Transporter) which was built to carry aircraft parts, especially wings, from Airbus' North Wales site at Broughton to the company's other European centres, including its HQ in Toulouse, France.

The Beluga XL made its first flight last summer.

The plane's livery featuring a whale-type smile was chosen by Airbus employees in a vote that attracted almost 21,000 participants.