PERCHED on a branch, this Little Owl plays third wheel to two love birds. Clearly not bothered by their uncomfortable onlooker, the owls pucker up and put on a very public display of affection. This trio of Little Owls were photographed by Uzbek photographer Ilia Shalamaev, 36, after he spotted the scene on a trip to the town of Kiryat Gat, Israel. “Here you can see a family of owls playing and having fun on a branch, not far from their nesting place,” says Ilia, now of Beit Hashmonay, Israel.
With one hand rested on his belly and the other propping his head up, this lazy lizard takes an afternoon break .
A SPECTRUM of colours fills the sky during this spectacular and natural display of light .
A middle spotted woodpecker swoops into her nest and feeds her young in a forest in Trentino, Italy .
MEET the underwater British seal who is so friendly he loves to grapple divers like a friendly puppy dog .
Balanced on one leg, a frog assumes the crane kick martial arts stance made famous in the movie The Karate Kid .
As sunlight cascades through its vibrant stained glass windows, every inch of the Nasir-ol-Mulk Mosque bursts with colour .
PICKING up a tiny tea-pot with its paws, a little red squirrel struggles to prepare its morning tea .
HEART-MELTING shots of a French bulldog and a ten-month-old French baby could be the cutest you’re likely to see .
These are the amazing close up pictures of North Korea's mass games - after photographers were previously banned from taking shots so close to the dazzling formation dances .
WITH his spiked ears and yellow and blue body, a colourful monkey bears an uncanny resemblance to Marvel Comics’ Wolverine .
WRAPPED up in classy headscarves, these adorable pooches are the picture of sophistication .
FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .