NATURE'S MOST STUNNING SHAPES AND PATTERNS

FROM ICE bubbles to boiling lava, these photographs highlight the stunning shapes and patterns found in nature. The series of extraordinary images were taken by German software engineer Thorsten Scheuermann after he decided to examine his surroundings. A trip to the city of Kalapana in Hawaii, home to the Kilauea Volcano, provided Thorsten with the setting for his lava picture, while a visit to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon offered him the opportunity to photograph ice bubbles up-close. The 37-year-old, now of Washington, USA, said: 'These are sights that can gain greater significance and have their beauty exposed when excluding everything else around them.'

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MESMERISING FUNGI

With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet .

PLAYFUL OWL PLAYS HIDE AND SEEK

A cheeky owl fancies a game of hide and seek as it peeps out from behind a tree .

PLENTY OF FISH IN THE SEA - CUTE PUFFIN BITES OFF MORE THAN HE CAN CHEW

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 .

ROAD-KILL CUDDLY TOYS

With their guts spewing and eyes hanging out, these are the cuddly toys children might be reluctant to curl up to .

ADORABLE YOUNG FALLOW DEER IN LONDON'S BUSHY PARK

An adorable young fallow deer peers over its shoulder and is greeted by a cheeky jackdaw crow sitting on its back .

LITTLE OWL WINKS FOR THE CAMERA

A Little owl looks down the lens of a camera and gives the photographer a cheeky wink .

BABY-FACED BURGLAR NABBED BY JAFFA CAKE

A BABY-faced burglar is starting a seven year stretch in custody after being nabbed by a Jaffa Cake .

CLIMBING BEAR CUB

BALANCING on top of a tree, this bear cub puts her climbing skills to the test .

FLY FISHING

A fish almost escapes the beak of a bird as they both soar through the air .

PRAIRIE DOG AND STARLING STAND-OFF

This starling and prairie dog will not back down an inch as they have a fearsome stand-off over who gets to eat a nut .

ADORABLE CHRISTMAS BABIES

WEARING tiny Christmas accessories, these adorable babies get into the spirit of the season .

HAPPILY UN-COUPLED - JILTED WOMAN THROWS DIVORCE PARTY

A woman has celebrated the end of her marriage to her unfaithful husband by throwing herself a DIVORCE PARTY .