This is the moment a puffin delved into the ocean and bit off more than he could chew to collect a beak full of fish. The stocky bird used its huge red and orange beak and strong tongue to grab the sandeels for a quick bite in the North Sea. Also known as the sea parrot, the animals were pictured earlier this year during the breeding season when their colours are even brighter. The pictures were captured by wildlife photographer Ron McCombe on the Farne Islands off the coast of Northumberland where they breed in large colonies. Puffins select a partner when three to five years old and then mate for life in season when they can be seen billing, a bonding ritual that forms a greeting or a form of puffin kissing. On land at breeding time is the only time the birds are vocal, living much of their lives out at sea in silence.
This frozen lighthouse in Michigan could easily be mistaken for a still from the snow swept disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow .
SQUABBLING over the last piece of grain, these hungry squirrels are determined to stock up on as much food as possible .
LUMINOUS green rocks could easily be a beach from Superman's homeland of Krypton .
EXPERTLY camouflaged, this clever panther chameleon knows how to catch its prey by surprise .
THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .
NOT YOUR everyday selfie, this plucky diver poses with some of the scariest predators in the ocean .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
GETTING behind the camera, this monkey practices his photography skills on his friends .
A group of shelter dogs showcase their loveable personalities in a series of passport-style photographs - in the hope of finding their forever homes .
Swirling water and sand create amazing aerial images of river deltas across Iceland .
