Wild Wonders of Europe / Bartocha / Rays of sunlight penetrating forest in Ghimbavul Valley Gorge, Arges County, Leota Mountains, Carpathian Mountains, Romania, July

Chadden Hunter / King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) chicks in mass breeding colony, St Andrews Bay, South Georgia. Taken on location for BBC Frozen Planet series, 2008

Danny Green / 2020VISION / Adder (Vipera berus) coiled, basking on moss in the spring sunshine, Staffordshire, England, UK, April. Photographer quote: "OK so snakes are perhaps not as sexy as seals or foxes but I just can't get...

Danny Green / 2020VISION / Adder (Vipera berus) basking in the spring sunshine flicking tongue, England, UK, April. Did you know? The Adder is the only venomous snake in the UK.

Peter Cairns / 2020VISION / Mute swan (Cygnus olor) in late evening light, Fife, Scotland, UK, November. Photographer quote: 'The last rays of winter sunshine caught this mute swan as it emerged from a reedbed. The light was as...

Wild Wonders of Europe / Maitland / Ray of light shining through thunder clouds over Lake Ohrid, Galicica National Park, Macedonia, June 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / Sun reflecting on sea surface with rocks on beach, Dail Beag Beach, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK, June 2009

Andy Rouse / Rays of light shining through storm clouds over Drake Passage, Antarctica, February 2006

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Sun shining through clouds over Lake Skadar near Murici, Lake Skadar National Park, Montenegro, May 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Sun shining through clouds, Lake Skadar, Lake Skadar National Park, Montenegro, May 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Müller / Ferns in a valley, Pollino National Park, Basilicata, Italy, May 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Rays of light shining through mist surrounding Black pines (Pinus nigra) Crna Poda Natural Reserve, Tara Canyon, Durmitor NP, Montenegro, October 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Möllers / European oak (Quercus robur) with rays of sunlight, Klampenborg Dyrehaven, Denmark, September 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Möllers / Sun shining through trees in Common alder (Alnus glutinosa) forest, Klampenborg Dyrehaven, Denmark, September 2008

Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} young monkeys playing in the sunshine in the trees, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} monkey basking in the winter sunshine, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

Igor Shpilenok / Brown bear {Ursus arctos} resting in the spring sunshine, Kronotsky Zapovednik, Kamchatka, Far East Russia

Wild Wonders of Europe / Sá / Underwater view of tree, with sun rays entering the water, Fibreno Lake nature reserve, Lazio, Italy.

Gary K. Smith / Country road in Autumn with sunlight shining through trees, North Norfolk, England, October

Mike Read / Four New Forest ponies beside a footpath warming themselves in early morning sunshine on heathland recently cleared of invasive sapling and larger pine trees with deciduous and coniferous woodland bey...

Ben Lascelles / Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias) adult approaching nest, lit by sunshine through trees, Sobernia National Park, Panama, August

Danny Green / Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) silhouetted at dawn, Suomussalmi, Kainuu region, Finland, Europe, June 2008, Exclusive Japanese calendar rights for 2014

Wild Wonders of Europe / Bartocha / Rays of sunlight shining on alpine grasslands and view of tree line, Leota mountain range, Arges county, Carpathian Mountains, Romania, July, 2011

Floris van Breugel / Late afternoon sunshine streams through green Valley Oaks (Quercus lobata Nee) Shell Ridge at the base of Mount Diablo, California, USA. April

Floris van Breugel / Morning sunshine at Prusik Peak with larch trees, and a rare dusting of early winter snow in the Enchantments, a spectacular alpine area, Washington State, USA. October 2011.

Roger Powell / Stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) incubating with storm approaching in early evening sunshine, Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, April

Brent Stephenson / Pied cormorants (Phalacrocorax varius) roosting on a rock in sunshine, with one yawning, Doubtful Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand.

David Tipling / 2020VISION / Woodwalton Fen in winter sunshine, Cambridgeshire Fens, UK, December 2011

Andrew Parkinson / 2020VISION / Moorhen Gallinula chloropus An adult is backlit on a frozen lake in evening light Derbyshire, UK

Andrew Parkinson / 2020VISION / Bearded tit Panurus biarmicus Portrait of an adult male perched on a bullrush Rainham Marshes RSPB Reserve, London, UK

Nick Upton / Tourist child posing for photograph next to Great white / Eastern white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) preening itself while standing on bench in morning sunshine, St. James's Park, London, UK, Janua...

Nick Upton / Great white / Eastern white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) standing on bench in morning sunshine with people in the background, St. James's Park, London, UK, January.

Nick Upton / Tourist stroking Great white / Eastern white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) in morning sunshine in St. James's Park, London, UK, January.

Nick Upton / Low angle view of Canada geese (Branta canadensis), Whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) and Coots (Fulica atra) on boating lake in winter sunshine, with flock of Feral pigeons (Columba livia) flying overhea...

Nick Upton / Three Whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) and Black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus) on lake in winter sunshine with storm clouds above, Regent's Park, London, UK, December.

Benoit Stichelbaut / "Akena Verandas" (Arnaud Boissieres and Vincent Riou) at the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre race, departing Le Havre, France. 8th November 2009.

Toby Roxburgh / Families relaxing in the sunshine around the harbour at Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy, 2006.

Rick Tomlinson / Silhoutte of a cruise ship on the horizon at sunset

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Wigeon (Anas penelope) drake sliding on ice after landing on frozen flooded marshland in winter sunshine, Greylake RSPB reserve, Somerset Levels, UK, January.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Wigeon (Anas penelope) drake landing on frozen flooded marshland in winter sunshine, Greylake RSPB reserve, Somerset Levels, UK, January.

Nick Upton / Woman carrying baby and using mobile phone to photograph Great white / Eastern white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) standing on bench in morning sunshine, St. James's Park, London, UK, January.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Wigeon (Anas penelope) flock and a few Pintail (Anas acuta) resting on partially frozen flooded marshland in winter sunshine, Catcott Lows National Nature Reserve, Somerset Levels, UK, January.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Wigeon (Anas penelope) flock and a few Pintail (Anas acuta) resting on partially frozen flooded marshland in winter sunshine, Catcott Lows National Nature Reserve, Somerset Levels, UK, January.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Two Wigeon (Anas penelope) drakes and a duck walking on frozen flooded marshland in winter sunshine, Greylake RSPB reserve, Somerset Levels, UK, January.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Two Wigeon (Anas penelope) drakes and two ducks walking on frozen flooded marshland in winter sunshine, Greylake RSPB reserve, Somerset Levels, UK, January.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Two Wigeon (Anas penelope) drakes walking on frozen flooded marshland in winter sunshine, Greylake RSPB reserve, Somerset Levels, UK, January.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Low angle view of Whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) and Coots (Fulica atra) on boating lake in winter sunshine, Regent's Park, London, UK, January.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Wigeon (Anas penelope) drake walking on frozen flooded marshland in winter sunshine, Greylake RSPB reserve, Somerset Levels, UK, January.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Low angle view of Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus), Mute swan (Cygnus olor), Coots (Fulica atra) and Black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus) on boating lake in winter sunshine with stormy sky, Regent's Park...

Brent Stephenson / Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) singing with bill wide open. Note iridescent plumage in the sunshine. Tiritiri Matangi Island, Auckland, New Zealand, September.

Andrew Parkinson / Grass snake (Natrix natrix) sub adult snake basks precariously on the top of a bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg). Derbyshire, UK, August.

Nick Upton / Single male of an overwintering species of Greenbottle (Eudasyphora cyanella) sunbasking in early spring sunshine on Forsythia flower. Wiltshire garden, UK, March.

Nick Upton / Female Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) holding her egg sac in sunshine to speed egg development. Wiltshire garden, UK, May.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Booth Island illuminated by shafts of sunshine through the cloud. Lemaire Channel, Antarctica, February 2009.

Doug Perrine / Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) being cleaned by Moon wrasses (Thalassoma lunare) with cleaner fish inside open mouth, Sunshine Thila, Lankan, North Male Atoll, Maldives, India...

Diane McAllister / Bobcat (Lynx / Felis rufus) female watching at the entrance to her den as her three kittens sleep on a boulder in the sunshine. Suburban Reno, Nevada, USA

Diane McAllister / Three Coyote pups (Canis latrans) sleeping outside the entrance to their den in the morning sunshine. Suburban southwest Reno, Nevada, USA, April

Danny Green / 2020VISION / Adder (Vipera berus) basking on moss in the spring sunshine, Staffordshire, England, UK, April

Danny Green / 2020VISION / Adder (Vipera berus) basking on rock in spring sunshine, Staffordshire, England, UK, April

Danny Green / 2020VISION / Adder (Vipera berus) basking in the spring sunshine, Staffordshire, England, UK, April

Nick Upton / Barren, mountainous, volcanic landscape in evening sunshine, with olive grove and vegetated stream valley near Eressos, Lesbos / Lesvos, Greece, August 2010

Nick Upton / Barren, mountainous, volcanic landscape in evening sunshine, with olive grove and vegetated stream valley near Eressos, Lesbos / Lesvos, Greece, August 2010

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Common snipe (Gallinago gallinago) swimming in flooded marshland in afternoon sunshine on a winter day. Greylake, Somerset Levels, UK, January

Nick Upton / Thawing snow on ivy (Hedera helix) fruiting heads and leaves in morning sunshine. Wiltshire, UK, January

Nick Upton / Orange Muscid fly (Phaonia pallida), sunning on a leaf in autumn sunshine. Wiltshire garden, UK, October

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Snow covered Larch trees (Larix genus) in winter sunshine. Verkhoyansk, Yakutia, Siberia, Russia, 1999.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Taiga in winter sunshine near Verkhoyansk. Yakutia, Siberia, Russia, 1999.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Snow covered Larch trees (Larix genus) in winter sunshine near Verkhoyansk. Yakutia, Siberia, Russia, 1999.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Taiga in winter sunshine near Verkhoyansk. Yakutia, Siberia, Russia, 1999.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Snow covered taiga in winter sunshine. Verkhoyansk, Yakutia, Siberia, Russia, 1999.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Snow covered Larch trees (Larix genus) in winter sunshine. Verkhoyansk. Yakutia, Siberia, Russia, 1999.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Snow covered Larch trees (Larix genus) in winter sunshine. Verkhoyansk. Yakutia, Siberia, Russia, 1999.

Andrew Parkinson / Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) in flight over water, winter sunshine. Yorkshire, UK, January (non-ex)

Andrew Parkinson / Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) in flight over water, winter sunshine. Yorkshire, UK, January (non-ex)

Andrew Parkinson / Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) in flight over water, winter sunshine. Yorkshire, UK, January (non-ex)

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Low winter sunshine shining through forest near Lovozero. Murmansk, Northwest Russia, 2005.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Low winter sunshine shining through forest near Lovozero. Murmansk, Northwest Russia, 2005.

Eric Baccega / View from deck of a cruise ship cruising through Sunshine Fjord, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, August 2010

Eric Baccega / A traditional Inukshuk sculpture in figurative form, on the coast of Sunshine Fjord, with a cruise ship behind, Nunavut, Canada, August 2010

Eric Baccega / Small iceberg in the fog, Sunshine fjord, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, August 2010

Paul Harcourt Davies / Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) sunning itself in autumn sunshine, Orvieto, Italy, Europe.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) sunning itself in autumn sunshine, Orvieto, Italy, Europe.

Colin Monteath / Champagne Pool as burst of sunshine lights up foreshore during day with blowing mist and heavy rain, Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, Rotorua, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Champagne Pool as burst of sunshine lights up foreshore during day with blowing mist and heavy rain, Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, Rotorua, New Zealand

Aflo / Y-8605 Sun setting behind mountains and evening sky

Aflo / Y-2906 Sun shining and clouds

Aflo / Y-3104 Sun shining behind clouds

Aflo / Y-3006 Sun shining behind clouds

Aflo / Y-3004 Sun shining behind clouds

Aflo / Y-3101 Sun shining behind clouds

Aflo / Y-10105 Bright sun setting in evening, Hawaii, USA

Aflo / Y-10101 Bright sun in orange sky

Aflo / Y-10106 Bright sun setting in evening

Aflo / Y10201 Bright sun setting in evening above ridge

Aflo / Y-2706 Sun shining above cumulus clouds in blue sky

Aflo / Y-2802 Sun shining above single cloud in blue sky