Linda Pitkin / Common fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica) in flower. Buckland Park Lake, Surrey, UK. August.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Silky heads of Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) shedding their seeds. Yamal Peninsula, Siberia, Russia.

Andrew Parkinson / Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) profile portrait on open moorland in evening light, with Cotton grass (Eriophorum) Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, August (non-ex)

Andrew Parkinson / Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) landing on Cotton grasses (Eriophorum) covered moorland, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, June (non-ex)

Andrew Parkinson / Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) in flight over open moorland with Cotton grasses (Eriophorum) Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, June. (non-ex)

Andrew Parkinson / Pair of Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) with a newborn chick concealed among tall moorland Cotton grasses (Eriophorum) Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, June (non-ex)

Andrew Parkinson / Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) territorial adult displaying to other Skuas passing overhead by stretching out its wings and calling, standing in in Cotton grass (Eriophorum) Shetland Islands, Scotland...

Andrew Parkinson / Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) territorial adult displaying to other Skuas passing overhead by stretching out its wings and calling, standing in Cotton grass (Eriophorum) Shetland Islands, Scotland, U...

Andrew Parkinson / Great skua (Stercorarius skua) chick resting in moorland Cotton grass (Eriophorum) Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, July. (non-ex)

Eric Baccega / White cotton grass (Eriophorum scheuchzeri) flowering on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, August 2010

Guy Edwardes / Scheuchzer's Cotton Grass (Eriophorum scheuchzeri) flowering and lake, Kleifarvatn, near Reykjavik, Iceland, June 2009.

Guy Edwardes / Cotton Grass (Eriophorum scheuchzeri) flowering near lake, Landmannalauger Highlands, Iceland June 2009.

Kevin Schafer / White Cottongrass (Eriophorum scheuchzeri) flowering and autumn tundra, Svalbard, Norway

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) on the tundra near Lake Hazen. Ellesmere Island, Canada, 1994.

Sven Zacek / Sunset over boreal forest with dead trees standing and Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) iflowering in the foreground. Estonia

Sven Zacek / Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) backlit in sunlight on wetland, Estonia

Sven Zacek / Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) in sunlight on wetland, Estonia

Sven Zacek / Wetlands landscapes with Tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum) Sweden, Scandinavia

Michel Poinsignon / Yellow iris {Iris pseudacorus} and Cotton grass {Eriophorum sp} Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Cotton grass {Eriophorum linaigrette} Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Cotton grass {Eriophorum linaigrette} and Bistort {Polygonum bistorta} flowers, Lorraine, France

Philippe Clement / Common cotton grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) in alpine meadow with cow grazing, Switzerland, July 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / López / Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) growing in a bog, Kemeri National Park, Latvia, June 2009

Inaki Relanzon / Volcanic landscape with Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) on the way to Landmannalaugar, south Iceland, July 2008

Inaki Relanzon / Volcanic landscape with Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) on the way to Landmannalaugar, south Iceland, July 2008

Matthias Breiter / Salmon Glacier spills down from the Coast Range near Hyder, Alaska

Konrad Wothe / Muskeg bog with cottongrass, Mitkof Island, southeast Alaska

Adrian Davies / Common Cotton Grass / Bog Cotton {Eriophorum angustifolium} County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, May.

Artur Tabor / Cotton grass {Eriophorum vaginatum} seed heads, Kozienicki NP, Poland

Jouan Rius / Cotton Grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) blowing in wind, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

Geoff Simpson / Cotton grass {Eriophorum vaginatum} seed head, Dorset, UK

Bernard Castelein / Common cotton grass {Eriophorum angustifolium} seed heads, Belgium

Nick Garbutt / Common Cotton Grass (Eriophorum augustifolium). Isle of Mull, Scotland.

David Tipling / Cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum) growing in bog, Northern Finland

Geoff Simpson / Hare's tail cotton grass flowers {Eriophoroum vaginatum} Derbyshire, UK

MYN / Niall Benvie / Cotton grass {Eriophorum vaginatum} Norway meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Niall Benvie / Cotton grass {Eriophorum vaginatum} Norway meetyourneighbours.net project

PREMAPHOTOS / Thistle ermine moth (Ethmia terminella) on woolly thistle (Cirsium eriophorum) UK

Suzi Eszterhas / Antarctic Fur Seal (Arctocephalus gazella) 1 to 2 week old pup in tussock grass, Prion Island, South Georgia

Bernard Castelein / Common cotton grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) at sunrise, Wuustwezel, Belgium

Bernard Castelein / Common cotton grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) Belgium

Kerstin Hinze / Scheuchzer's Cotton Grass (Eriophorum scheuchzeri), Lake Lago Bianco with Cambrena-Glacier in background, Bernina Valley, Grisons, Switzerland

Niall Benvie / Cotton grass (Eriophorum genus) with wind turbines in background, Scotland UK. May 2006

Niall Benvie / Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) with wind turbines in background, Scotland UK. May 2006

John Waters / Cotton grass flowering {Eriophorum sp} La Vanoise NP, Alps, France

Bengt Lundberg / Common swift eggs {Apus apus} in nestbox with remains of Cotton grass plant {Eriophorum gracile} Sweden.

Jose B. Ruiz / Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) flowering in a meadow, Picos de Europa, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) flowering in a meadow, Picos de Europa, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) flowering in a meadow, Picos de Europa, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Cotton grass (Eriophorum sp) flowering in a meadow, Picos de Europa, Spain

Colin Varndell / Woolly thistle flower {Cirsium eriophorum} UK.

Pete Cairns / Cotton grass {Eriophorum sp} growing in bog, Glenfeshie, Cairngorms NP, Scotland, UK.

Paul Hobson / Cotton grass {Eriophorum vaginatum} in flower, Peak District, UK.

Paul Hobson / Cotton grass {Eriophorum vaginatum} in flower, Peak District, UK.

Paul Hobson / Cotton grass {Eriophorum vaginatum} in flower, Peak District, UK.

Paul Hobson / Cotton grass {Eriophorum vaginatum} flower abstract, Peak District, UK.

Paul Hobson / Cotton grass {Eriophorum vaginatum} in flower, Peak District, UK.

Paul Hobson / Close-up of Cotton grass flower {Eriophorum vaginatum} Peak District, UK.

Niall Benvie / Broad leaved cotton grass flowering {Eriophorum latifolium} Estonia.

Michael Hutchinson / Cottongrass growing in valley, Skaftafell NP, Iceland {Eriophorum sp}

Jan Vermeer / Hare's-tail Cottongrass or Sheathed Cottonsedge (Eriophorum vaginatum) in evening light, circumboreal species

Bernard Castelein / Common cotton grass {Eriophorum angustifolium} flowering in wetland, Belgium

Bernard Castelein / Common cotton grass flowering {Eriophorum angustifolium} Belgium

John Waters / Cotton grass {Eriophorum sp} fowering in La Vanoise National Park, Alps, France

Bengt Lundberg / Common swift pair in nestbox. Male holds plant offering {Eriophorum gracile} for female 1 July. Sweden Scandinavia

DOMINIC JOHNSON / Cotton grass (Hare's-tail cotton-grass) Siberia, Russia

GRAHAM HATHERLEY / Common Cotton grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) in front of rock strata. Norway, Europe

Duncan Mcewan / Common Cotton grass, moorland, Scotland, UK

Brian Lightfoot / Arctic cloudberry {Rubus chamaemorus} & Cotton grass {Eriophorum angustifolium}, Scotland, UK.

Pete Cairns / Cotton grass seedheads backlit {Eriophorum angustifolium} Highlands, Scotland, UK

Geoff Simpson / Hare's tail cotton grass flowers {Eriophoroum vaginatum} Derbyshire, UK

Asgeir Helgestad / Cotton grass flowering {Eriophorum angustifolium} Nordkapp, Norway

Asgeir Helgestad / Mist over lake with Cotton grass {Eriophorum vaginatum} Norway

Pascal Tordeux / Woolly Thistle (Cirsium eriophorum) in flower. Queyras, south east of France.

Pascal Tordeux / Broad-leaved Cottongrass / Cottonsedge (Eriophorum latifolium). French Alps, July.

Pascal Tordeux / Woolly Thistle (Cirsium eriophorum) flower with beetles feeding. South east France, June.

Jan Vermeer / Hare's-tail Cottongrass or Sheathed Cottonsedge (Eriophorum vaginatum) in evening light, circumboreal species

Mike Read / Bog cotton {Eriophorum sp} growing in meadow Pyrenees France