THIRD WHEEL OWL

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.

Other great stories
PRAYING MANTIS MAKES AN UNLIKELY FRIEND

A brave praying mantis makes an unusual friend in an Oriental garden lizard .

POLYAMOROUS TRIO: I SHARE A HOUSE WITH MY TWO BOYFRIENDS AND OUR CHILDREN

Sunny Saap, 27, from Columbia, Missouri, United States, enjoys life with her two boyfriends .

MICROBES OR FLAMINGOS

FLAMINGOS from above look like the pink algae they eat .

PEEKABOO SQUIRRELS EMERGE FROM THEIR NEST

SQUEEZING their furry faces through a hole in a tree, a trio of curious baby squirrels leave their nest for the first time to explore their surroundings .

THEY'RE BEHIND YOU!

SURROUNDED by tens of thousands of fish, this outnumbered diver is dwarfed by a mass of sea life .

“HOTDOG” EUROPES BIGGEST CHILLI DOG IS NO WIENER AT 13,000 CALORIES

A restaurant famed for creating the 3lb cheeseburger has unveiled its latest culinary challenge – the largest chilli cheese hotdog in Europe .

JEALOUS EX TERRORISED ME FOR FIVE MONTHS

Heart pounding, Rebecca Cain jumped as a car door slammed on the street outside .

GIRL NICKNAMED JAWS BITES BACK AFTER SURGERY

A GIRL nicknamed JAWS by bullies who taunted her because of her underbite is em-bracing her new post-surgery life .

SNOWY SQUIRRELS PLAY A GAME OF BALL

Throwing their arms up in the air, these energetic squirrels play a game of ball with a walnut .

FROM KEBAB TO KE-BABE: WOMAN DROPS 13ST AFTER FOOD ATTACK

A woman has lost an incredible 13st after a group of men cruelly threw a kebab at her as she walked down the street .

MY 20 YEAR SECRET - IT'S NOT ALOPECIA OR CANCER, I HAVE TRICHOTILLOMANIA

A mum who has hid behind the hair loss condition alopecia for the last 20 years has bravely revealed a secret compulsion to tear out her own hair that has tormented her since she was a child .

SMILING SHARKS

A lively lemon shark grins into the camera and showcases his impressive teeth .