The Peregrine Falcon (Falcon peregrinus) is eating a Wood Pigeon. The picture is at the same time disgustingly savage causing you to want to avert your gaze, whilst also, being eerily compelling.

Peregrines can be seen all year round in UK uplands and rocky sea cliffs. They eat medium sized birds such as small ducks and wading birds as well as, of course, pigeons. The Peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or in tall man-made structures. The Peregrine, also known sometimes as the Duck Hawk, became an endangered species due to pesticides, notably DDT. Recovery has taken place since the early 1970s as a result of the ban on DDT, the protection of nesting places and releases back in to the wild.

For more information take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_Falcon and http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Peregrine_Falcon.

These deer were shot early morning against the light to give this attractive silhouette. There was a small amount of residual mist which effectively displayed the sun’s rays against the trees in the background leading to this terrifically powerful scene. The scene at Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, was one of many opportunities for excellent images.

See Bradgate Park for further information on the park and its history.

The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is one of the most widely distributed birds. Smaller than a Tawny Owl, it has a heart shaped face that can change shape. The flight is slow and low over the ground, often wavering and hovering during hunting. They feed mostly on mice, voles and shrews though sometimes eat small rats. They can generally be found below 300m in farmland, coastal marshes and forest edges. They hunt over grassland, along edges of fields or ditches, verges, river banks and railway embankments. Nests can be found in buildings, hollow trees and cliffs.

More information can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_Owl, http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Barn_Owl and http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/barnowl/index.aspx.

A Red Deer Stag during the October rut in 2011. The rut is a period when the biggest and strongest male (stag) rounds up a group of females (hinds) for mating. Certainly all of the other male deer want to do the same, but there are only so many females to go around. To maintain control over a group of females, the stag must constantly drive away rivals. The stag announces his superiority over other males by constantly bellowing out an echoing roar.

Sometimes shouting is not enough, so when contenders approach the females they need to chase them off. Sometimes fights between males can break out, and this can lead to some serious clashing of those magnificent antlers, though sometimes the battles are eerily silent and intense.

Red deer are our largest native land mammals and can weigh up to 190kg. They are one of only two native species of deer in the UK, the other being the Roe deer.

For more information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Deer and http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Red_Deer.

This Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) was taken in the Highlands, though is not a native of this area, tending to be distributed sparsely through habitats as diverse as Northern coniferous forest to the edge of large deserts. Although rocky cliffs and mountains are favoured, eagle owls have even been observed living in European cities. The shot was taken through a line of trees and features both foreground and background blur. The Eurasion Eagle Owl is one of the largest owls with a wingspan of 138–200 cm (55–79 in) and measures 58–75 cm (23–30 in) long, and in the wild may live for 20 years. They feed mainly on small mammals such as voles and rats, mice and hares. Other birds are also taken including corvids (crows, magpies, etc), grouse, woodpeckers, ducks and geese and seabirds. The Eagle Owl is largely nocturnal and is usually found nesting on cliff ledges.

For more information see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Eagle-owl or http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Eurasian_Eagle-owl.

This remains one of my favourite images. Although clearly staged, the haunting loneliness implied by the bleak snowfall still contrasts magnificently with the ruthless and steely falcon eye and beak.

Peregrines can be seen all year round in UK uplands and rocky sea cliffs. They eat medium sized birds such as small ducks and wading birds as well as, of course, pigeons. The Peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or in tall man-made structures. The Peregrine, also known sometimes as the Duck Hawk, became an endangered species due to pesticides, notably DDT. Recovery has taken place since the early 1970s as a result of the ban on DDT, the protection of nesting places and releases back in to the wild.

For more information take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_Falcon and http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Peregrine_Falcon.