A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free. With all its tiny might, the rodent manages to pull its paw free from the clutch of the huge heron's beak. This moment was caught by professional photographer Daniel Dietrich, 44, in Point Reyes, California. Daniel, originally of New York, says: “The blue heron first attempted to spear the gopher with its beak while the rodent retreated into its burrow.
POPE MOBBED BY THOUSANDS OF WORSHIPPERS IN RIO - Thousands of worshippers gather to celebrate the Papal visit on Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro ,Brazil .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .
FULL OF STUNNING colours and swirling shapes, the furrows on these fields create a mix of mesmerising patterns .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - FUNKY BUMP: FROM MIRROR bellies to rainbow bumps these pregnancy casts of stone and bronze could be the funkiest way to preserve your bump for posterity .
IN THE not so MISTY MOUNTAINS of Wiltshire, there lies an abandoned hobbit house .
Animal rescue volunteers have told how a cat riddled with cancer was forced to ripped off its own ears after it was abandoned by its owners .
PUCKERING up and enjoying some quality time, these are the most lovable monkeys on the planet .
WELCOME to the pretty 122-inch-tall red dwelling that lays claim to the title of the UK's smallest house .
WEARING tiny Christmas accessories, these adorable babies get into the spirit of the season .
NEW DELHI, A woman activist of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party crosses a police barricade near the residence of ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi during a protest against the recent rape of a five-year-old girl in New Delhi, India, April 21, 2013 .
A family of foster carers are facing bankruptcy and homelessness after they signed up to a Government scheme to renovate their house to be used for disabled children's short breaks .