Pinning a purple flower into her bleach blonde hair, pretty Ava admired herself in the mirror. She had every reason to be proud. In the space of a year, she had lost an incredible 17 stone. Her weight dropped from 37st 1lbs to 19st 7lbs, and she slipped into a dress before gazing at her newly svelte figure. With her smokey eye makeup and black skater dress, she could have been glamming up for a night on the tiles with her girlfriends. Instead, it was Halloween, 2013, and Ava was hiding a huge secret. Born a boy named William, it was the first time she had ever dressed as a girl – and everything fell into place.
WITH a paw in the air and his tongue hanging from his mouth, it is clear to see that this little groundhog is struggling to wake up and leave behind the comfort of his burrow .
GIANT garden sculptures don't beat about the bush .
WEARING tiny Christmas accessories, these adorable babies get into the spirit of the season .
This tranquil setting stretches for miles as the sun sets behind the mountain .
WITH THEIR adorable big round eyes and fluffy white fur, these baby seals are cute enough to melt any heart .
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
CONTRASTING settings reveal some of England’s most beautiful landscapes in all their glory .
A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free .
A Romanian photographer has captured the unique patterns of hundreds of human eyes in a series of striking macro shots .
With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet .
Fetching a tiny carrot and a head-shaped snowball, a red squirrel builds the perfect snowman .
