A photographer has captured spellbinding images of stars swirling above the English countryside. Freelance photographer Matt Bigwood wanted to convey the movement of stars when he photographed the night sky over Gloucestershire. Using long exposures, Matt shot the same location multiple times, before layering the images on top of each other to create the star trails in the sky. The 46-year-old, of Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, says: “My aim is just to produce eye-catching pictures that convey maybe an hour or more movement into one image.
HUDDLING under a leaf, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls take shelter from the rain .
LYING flat out on his back, this little meerkat makes the most of the English sunshine .
WITH SNOW COVERING the ground around them, these two polar bears play fight .
FROM THE world famous Girl with a Pearl Earring painting to a jaguar in the grass, these incredible drawings are created from coloured ballpoint pens .
FLOATING effortlessly on his back, this little otter laps up a rare glimmer of English spring sunshine .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .
WITH THEIR adorable big round eyes and fluffy white fur, these baby seals are cute enough to melt any heart .
SURROUNDED by a snowstorm, these young polar bears battle the elements - as well as each other .
AN ARRAY of colours, from pinks to blues and oranges, fill the night sky to create an amazing collection of interstellar patterns .
Throwing their arms up in the air, these energetic squirrels play a game of ball with a walnut .
STARING eagerly into the camera, this little toad is full of curiosity .
These adorable pictures show the moment two cuddly red panda cubs take their first look at the outside world and are weighed for the very first time .