Maureen McLaren took this photo of a herd of Grey Seals while she was on a boat trip around the Farne Islands.

More photos and info about Grey Seals here

Paul Shaw photographed this splendid looking Fallow Buck at Bradgate Park in Leicester.  Camera used was a Nikon D7000 with a 500mm F4.

More photos and info about Fallow Deer here

Angelic looking Blue Tit.  Photographed by Dick Roberts at Paws-a-While in East Yorks on a snow covered bird table.  Camera used was a Nikon D300 with a Sigma 70-300 lens.

More photos and info about Blue Tits here

Roe deer buck on a frosty morning.  Photographed by Ron Allen near Petersfield, Hampshire.  Camera used was a Nikon D2500 camera with Nikon 18-300mm.

More photos and info on Roe Deer here

How does that song go?  "...Plovers in the air, everywhere I look around."

Heh heh, I can get away with that because it's nearly St. Valentine's day.  These ones were lovingly photographed at Uphill Sands near Weston-super-Mare by Alice Bennett-West.

More photos and info about UK Birds here

This photo of a courting pair of Great Crested Grebes was photographed by Bob Ball.  The male is presenting his partner with a bit of soggy pondweed, which is the Great Crested Grebe equivalent of a bunch of red roses.  It's all just so romantic.  His lady friend is clearly enchanted by his delightful offering.

More info about affectionate exploits of Great Crested Grebes here

Black Squirrel.  Photographed by Tony Burgess at Herne Bay in Kent.  Camera used was a Canon 7D with a 100-400mm lens.

Black squirrels are being seen more frequently in the UK.  They are Grey Squirrels with a genetic mutation altering their fur colour.  When you look closely at the hair on a regular Grey Squirrel they are actually a mixture of white, black and orange stripes.  With the Black Squirrels the hairs are completely black.

More info about Black Squirrels here

Despite the fierce winds many butterflies are on the wing already.  Terry Byrne spotted this 'admirable' beauty feeding in his garden near Hereford earlier this month

More photos of Butterflies here

Graham Meadows photographed this Brown Rat at the bottom of his garden in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.  He used an Olympus E-420 DSLR with a 70-150mm lens, placed 2m from the burrow and triggered with a remote control.

More photos of UK Mammals here

Roger Kirk took this photo of a pair of Mute Swans just swapping egg sitting duties.

More photos of Mute Swans here

Olie Horton photographed this frog in his back garden in Somerset. He used a Nikon D300 with a 120-400mm lens.

More photos of Frogs here

David Bradley took this photo of a male and female adder shortly after they had shed their skins.  It illustrates well the colour difference between the sexes.  The picture was taken in the west of the New Forest, and the camera used was a Canon D20 with a 100-400 lens.

More photos of Adders here

Pair of Black-necked Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) photographed by Paul Shaw.  Camera used was a Nikon D7000 with a 500mm F4 lens.

More photos of wildfowl here

Pete Tanton photographed this Mute Swan shaking water from its head at his local park.  Camera used was a Canon 7D with a 300mm lens.

More photos of Mute Swans here

Richard Stroud photographed this Red Kite while Kayaking on the River Thames at Whitchurch.

More photos about Red Kites here

Jake Williams photographed these starfish at Rosemarkie, Ross-shire.  He said these were just a few of many which had been washed up on the beach there last week.  These shoreline strandings often occur after a storm at sea where strong currents lift the creatures off the sea bed and deposit them on the beach.

More photos and info about marine wildlife here

Dave Lake is lucky enough to have Red Squirrels visiting his garden in Perthshire.  He photographed this one enjoying some peanuts from his bird feeder.  Camera used was a Canon 6D and a 70-300mm lens.

More photos of Red Squirrels here

Dean Eades (Birdmad.com) took this shot of a Hobby in Lincolnshire using a Canon 5D.

More photos of Hobbys here

This fiesty looking Greenfinch was photographed by Richard Stroud through a window of his home in north Hampshire

More photos of birds here

Pete Tanton caught this Gannet sharing its weed with a bumblebee at Bempton.  He used a Canon 7D with a 300mm lens.

More photos of Gannets here

Ron Allen was in the right place at the right time (unlike the rabbit) when he took this photo with a little pocket Panasonic Lumix TZ70.  The rabbit was unharmed.  The fox was more interested in investigating grassy tussocks than chasing the rabbit - possibly looking for voles.  Location was West Wittering, West Sussex.

More photos of Foxes here >
More photos of Rabbits here >

This photo sent in by Edwin Barber gives you a good idea of why the male Crab Spider has to be very careful when mating with a female.  That's the male walking on top of the female.  Notice the size difference.  One bad movement and he's lunch.

More photos of colourful Crab Spiders here >

If you've ever wondered where "Long-jawed Spiders" get their name from (and who hasn't?) this photo by Margaret Stevens should explain everything.

More photos and info about Long-jawed Spiders here >

George Cox took this photo of a Large Blue Butterfly at Collard Hill in Gloucestershire.  He used a Canon EOS 50D with a Canon 100mm Macro lens.  Large Blues are one of the most endangered butterflies in the world.

More photos and info about Large Blue Butterflies here >

Devon photographer Ben Lee took this amazing photograph of a Southern Hawker dragonfly emerging from its larval casing.  The larva will have spent two or three years living underwater, preparing for the day when it would climb out and transform into a brightly coloured adult dragonfly.

Ben has captured the moment when the dragonfly has broken free of the larval casing and is now resting to give its legs time to dry and harden.  After this it will be strong enough to pull itself upright and allow its wings to fully expand.

More photos and info about dragonflies here >

Film maker James Dunbar took this photo of one of the Water Spiders living in his garden pond.  You can see in the photo how the air trapped in the hairs around the body has created a perfect diving bell for the spider to breathe underwater.

More info and a short film about Water Spiders here >

White Admiral Butterfly photographed this week by Glynn Crocker at Blean Woods in Canterbury, Kent.  Photo taken with a Nikon Coolpix p900 bridge camera.

More info about White Admiral butterflies here >

Dean Eades (Birdmad.com) took this incredible photo of a Reed Warbler feeding a Cuckoo chick in Lincolnshire.  He used a Canon 5D Mk 4 with a 300mm 2.8 and a flash.

More photos and info about Cuckoos here >

Conditions were ideal for Jersey Tiger Moths this week.  We received a number of sightings from the south east of England.  Simon Olley spotted this one in in Muswell Hill, North London, and photographed it with a Canon EOS 500D.

More photos and info about Jersey Tiger Moths here >

Pete Tanton captured this amazing photo of a Swallow feeding its chick in Nidderdale, Yorkshire.  He used a Canon 7D and a 300mm lens.

More photos and info about Swallows here >

David Batchelor took this photo of a Kingfisher with a newt at Warnham Nature Trail in West Sussex.  He used a Nikon D 7000 with Sigma F2.8 300mm, hand held.

More photos and info about Kingfishers here >

You probably guessed from the general shape and long antennae that this is a type of caddisfly.  But what's with those super long, white antennae and the hairy black pincer-like legs at the front?

This is the "Black Dancer" (Mystacides sepulchralis).  They're kind of freakey in that they appear to have eight legs (like an arachnid), but that furry, black pair at the front are actually extensions of the mouthparts (palps).  They're harmless insects and won't bite/pinch/scratch/sting/spit or shoot out dragon-like flames (disappointingly).

Ben Pike photographed this one resting on a stinging nettle by the River Ivel in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.

More photos and info about creepy-crawlies here >

Bob Brown spotted this Giant Horntail egg-laying while fitting some decking in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, Scotland.  He used his phone to take the shot.

More photos and info about Giant Horntail Wasps here >

Ross Priday found this Emperor Moth larva a few weeks ago on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, near the village of Broad Haven.  He photographed it in the hands of his 8 year old son to make the already big caterpillar look like a caterpillazilla.  Ross used his iPhone to take the shot.

See the beautiful moth this caterpillar turns into here >

Joe Devereux took this photo of a Beewolf emerging from her underground nest at Minsmere.  He used a Canon 70D with sigma 105mm macro lens.  This Beewolf is a type of solitary, predatory wasp, which preys on bees.

More freaky invertebrates in the creepy-crawlies section here >

Checkout the colour of this Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar photographed by Sharon Smith in Weybridge, Surrey.  Do you think it'll glow in the dark?  Sharon used her Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge to take the photo.

More pics of Elephant Hawkmoths and their larvae here >

Little Owl (with supper) photographed in Lincolnshire by Dean Eades with Canon gear.

More info and photos of Little Owls here >

Dave Shallis sent us this photo of a male Common Darter Dragonfly resting on a cane in his Oxfordshire garden.  He used a Fuji Finepix HS10 camera.

More info and photos of Common Darter Dragonflies here >

Glynn Crocker photographed this cute little seal pup on the promenade at Minnis Bay, Birchington, Kent.  He used a Nikon Coolpix P900 camera.

More about seals and other marine mammals here >

The lovely fungi above is Yellow Stagshorn.  It was photographed by Jenni Alexander in Brentwood, Essex with her Nikon D4 and a Sigma 105mm macro lens.

This Sunday 8th October is "Fungi Day".  I know, you've been waiting all year for it right?  Well it's finally arrived and to celebrate there are events and activities being held in many parts of the UK.  Checkout ukfungusday.co.uk to find out more.

More about Yellow Stagshorn Fungi here >
UK Safari Fungi Section here >

Richard Harris took this photo in Richmond Park, Surrey.  During the Red Deer rut the stags often decorate their antlers with bracken and other foliage in an effort to look even more impressive.  This guy really doesn't need to try so hard.  Just look at the size of those antlers!

More info and photos of the Red Deer rut here >

Ron Allen took this photo of the late afternoon sun over Petersfield, Hampshire on the 16th October.  The orange-red glow was caused by remnants of Hurricane Ophelia raising dust from the Sahara which was then carried over the UK.  Ron used a Nikon D2500 with 18-300mm Nikkor lens.

Photos of the 2007 red moon >

Dean Eades (birdmad.com) took this photo of a rather majestic looking wild Raven this month in Leicestershire.  He used a Canon 5d Mk 4 with a Canon 300mm f/2.8 lens.

More about Ravens here >

Sandra Monk photographed this Migrant Hawker Dragonfly (Aeshna mixta) in Southwater Park, West Sussex.  The Migrant Hawker has one of the longest flying seasons of all the dragonflies in the UK.  They're on the wing from July through to mid-November.

More about Migrant Hawker Dragonflies here >

Kathleen Davis photographed these tracks on the outside of her roof window in Reading, Berkshire.  But what animal could possibly have got up on the roof and made them?  A mouse?  A squirrel?  A bird perhaps?

Notice how the marks are more numerous where there is some bright green algae on the glass.  These are the tracks created by the tongue of a snail as it feeds.  The tongue, known as a radula, has thousands of rasping teeth on its surface and they scrape the food into tiny pieces ready for the snail to digest.

More about Slugs and Snails in the Invertebrate Section >

This Nuthatch seems happy with its seed cake.  Heather Maryson took the photo in Old Heathfield, East Sussex with a Canon 550d

More about Nuthatches here >

Glynn Crocker photographed this trio of Brent Geese feeding just off shore at Grenham Bay, Kent.  Brent Geese breed in northern Russia but migrate to the south and east of England during the winter.  Glynn used a Nikon Coolpix P900 camera.

More photos of geese, ducks and swans here >

Most people are aware that owls and other birds of prey regurgitate pellets containing the bones, fur and other indigestible parts of the animals they've eaten.  But a great many other species of birds also produce pellets.  Pete Tanton photographed this colourful little kingfisher in mid-puke, coughing up a small silver coloured pellet.  Pete took the picture at Far Ings National Nature Reserve in Lincolnshire using a Canon 7D with a 300mm lens.

More photos of Kingfishers here >

Glynn Crocker photographed this little Lapland Bunting at Bishopstone near Herne Bay, Kent.  He used a Nikon Coolpix P900.

Lapland Buntings are not seen here in large numbers, but they do show up each winter on the east coast, from Lothian all the way down to Kent, between November and March.  In spring these birds return to breed in Lapland (hence the name), the most northerly part of Finland.

UK Safari Bird Section here >

Dave Hartley took this photo of a perching Mandarin Duck in Adel, near Leeds.  He used a Canon 6d with a 70-300mm lens.

Most of the Mandarin Ducks seen in the UK today are descendents of birds which escaped from private collections in the 1920's.

More about Mandarin Ducks here >

Thomas Pauko took photographed this angelic little Robin in Fishers Green, Lee Valley Park, Essex.  He used a Canon EOS 20D and Canon 300mm 2.8 lens.

More about Robins here >

Roger Jones photographed this charming little Harvest Mouse among some reeds at Dungeness, Kent.  He used a Canon 7D MkII and a Canon 100-400 MkII lens.

The Harvest Mouse is the smallest mouse found in the UK and weighs about the same as a 20p piece.  It's also unique in that it has a prehensile tail which it uses as a safety line, by wrapping it around stems while it's feeding.

More about Harvest Mice here >