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
TERRIFIED TEACHER TALKED MURDERER OUT OF STRANGLING HER

A teacher has told how she was attacked by a murderer on her way home from a night out but courageously managed to charm him out of strangling her .

CLIMBING BEAR CUB

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

BUDGET DIY: MUM-OF-FOUR ADDS OUTDOOR LOO LIKE BECKHAMS FOR JUST £60

A mother-of-four has revealed how, like the Beckhams, she’s added an outside toilet to her home .

MOODY GORILLA

SAT with his arms folded and a cross look on his face, this Gorilla looks like he's had enough of the Christmas holidays already .

CHERNOBYL - 28 YEARS ON

TOMORROW (Saturday) marks the 28th anniversary of the nuclear disaster that left the city of Chernobyl devastated .

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 .

BIRD ATTACK

A pair of bank myna birds fight it out in front of their ladies .

MY SLEEPING BEAUTY NIGHTMARE

MEET the real life sleeping beauty - who snoozed for TWO months when a rare sleep disorder took over her life and turned it into a nightmare .

ROMANIAN CELEBRATES NEW JOB AS KNIFE THROWER'S ASSISTANT

A Romanian woman is celebrating her new job as a knife-thrower’s assistant after leaving her family behind to move to the UK .

SEXUALLY ABUSED AT 9 BY GRANDAD

A survivor of abuse has bravely waived her anonymity to tell how she was sexually assaulted from the age of nine - by her depraved grandad .

THE UNDERWATER WONDERLAND

SEA LIFE and greenery in one shot show nature at its very best .

BULLIES MADE MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER ANOREXIC

A mum has warned of the dangers of child eating disorders, after her 10-year-old daughter developed anorexia when school bullies branded her ‘FAT’ .