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
AIR OF THE DOG: HILARIOUS FLYING POOCHES

FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .

BRITAIN'S LOST MILITARY HOSPITAL

WELCOME to all that remains of Britain's once state-of-the-art military hospital where plastic surgery was pioneered for injured WW1 troops who survived the SOMME .

WOMAN REVEALS HER 9-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER SUFFERED HORRIFIC BURNS TO 20% OF HER BODY AFTER KNOCKING SCALDING BOTTLE WARMER OVER HERSELF AT DAYCARE

A mother-of-three has revealed how her nine-month-old daughter was severely burnt after knocking a scalding bottle warmer over herself at daycare .

NINJA RED SQUIRREL

A NINJA red squirrel cuts a dashing figure as the little fella jumps up to ten-feet between treetops in the Yorkshire Dales .

OLYMPIC KNITWITS - KNITTERS STITCHED UP BY RED TAPE

Housands of cushions handmade as gifts for Olympics athletes may go to waste after London 2012 KNITWITS stitched up volunteers by refusing to allow them to hand them out .

HMS ARK ROYAL ARRIVES AT SHIP GRAVEYARD- LANGUISHING

HMS Ark Royal arrives in the Turkish port of Aliaga at the ship scrapping firm Leyal’s yard .

FINE CHINA GOLD LINED DOG BOWLS SELL AT £1,500

Posh pooch owners are lapping their pets up in luxury by paying £1,500 for 22ct gold lined fine china DOG BOWLS .

YOGI - BEAR - POLAR CUBS MORNING BEAR-ROBICS

A young polar bear cub becomes the yogi bear as she stretches off for a morning aerobics session .

CALIFORNIAN GHOST TOWN OF BODIE HILLS FROZEN IN TIME

An intrepid photographer travelled to the abandoned ghost town of Bodie in northern California to capture the historic buildings that are trapped in time .

WOMAN DISCOVERS PREGNANCY…AS HER BABY BEGINS CROWNING

A support worker was stunned to discover she was eight months pregnant after she was rushed to hospital with 'stomach cramps' .

ANIMAL WHISPERER TAMES SILKY SHARK

A diving guide leaves a shark completely docile and balanced in the palm of his hand .

WINKING SQUIRREL

BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera .