BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera. After spending a morning stealing a stash of nuts and seed from his squirrel friends, he sits down to enjoy his well-earned lunch. The pictures of this cheeky squirrel were captured by emergency services worker Claire Hartley, 35, on a trip to Hartsholme Park, near Lincoln. “Several squirrels had been competing to get as many nuts as possible,” says Claire, of Lincoln.
STARING intently into the camera, a polar bear appears to be lost in thought while relaxing in the snow .
STRIKING photos capture nature at its most raw and powerful during Earth’s most electrifying event .
MEET the little lion of suburbia with a mane that makes him look like a mini-king of the jungle .
WITH THEIR adorable big round eyes and fluffy white fur, these baby seals are cute enough to melt any heart .
MEET the underwater British seal who is so friendly he loves to grapple divers like a friendly puppy dog .
HUDDLED together on a branch, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls soak up the sun .
An adorable black bear cub struggles to find the perfect spot for an afternoon nap as he wriggles around on the branch of a maple tree .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .
This tranquil setting stretches for miles as the sun sets behind the mountain .
More weather chaos is heading our way, with ice and snow already hitting areas across Birmingham .
WITHOUT A care in the world, this little snow monkey puts his feet up and settles in for a snooze .
MASKED intruders look sinister but really they are a gang of urban exploring pranksters .