Pete Oxford / Rabari man of the Sorathi subgroup found in and around the Gir Forest National Park, wearing large ornate ear rings, Gujarat, India , 2006

Nature Production / Solar halo round the sun, Japan

George McCarthy / Fairy ring of False champigon fungi {Clitocybe rivulosa} UK

Nick Barwick / Lapwing chick with metal and coloured rings for identification purposes (Vanellus vanellus) Mid Yare reserve, Norfolk, UK

Paul Hobson / Female Twite (Carduelis flavirostris) on post, showing coloured leg rings, Pennines, uk

Konstantin Mikhailov / Rings of reeds in Lake Khanka, Khankayskiy Zapovednik / Reserve, Ussuriland, SE Siberia, Russia. Breeding site of endangered Red-crowned crane and Parrotbills, feeding site of Egrets and Oriental Whit...

Jose B. Ruiz / Eleanora's hawk {Falco eleanorae} chick with tagging rings, Columbretes Is, Spain

WILLIAM OSBORN / Portrait of Male Blue winged teal (Anas discors) resting, UK, C, notice the leg rings where bird has been tagged for research purposes

Ross Hoddinott / Greater butterfly orchid {Platanthera chlorantha} Badbury rings, Dorset, UK.

Ross Hoddinott / Knowlton church and rings (earthworks), Dorset, UK.

Nick Turner / A cut log showing growth rings, Gloucestershire, England, UK.

Nick Turner / A cut log showing growth rings, Gloucestershire, England.

Niall Benvie / Detail of annular tree rings in a hand-made wooden box, Scotland.

Niall Benvie / Eli Galili, warden, checking rings on Common cranes {Grus grus} Lake Agmon, Hula valley, Israel

Pete Cairns / Wood grain patterns in cut wood showing growth rings and hardwood, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

Philippe Clement / Cross section of petrified wood, showing annual rings, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming, USA.

Philippe Clement / Cross section of petrified wood, showing annual rings, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming, USA.

Philippe Clement / Cross section of tree trunk showing annual rings, Belgium

Colin Varndell / Avenue of European beech trees, Badbury Rings, Dorset, UK.

Kim Taylor / Growth rings of a Douglas fir tree {Pseudotsuga menziesii}, UK.

Kim Taylor / Scale of Sea bass {Dicentrarchus labrax} showing growth rings.

Kim Taylor / Water droplet splashing onto pond surface and making concentric rings / ripples

Kim Taylor / Water droplet splashing onto pond surface and making concentric rings / ripples

Kim Taylor / Water droplet splashing onto pond surface and making concentric rings / ripples

Phil Savoie / Cross section of tree trunks showing growth rings

Phil Savoie / Cross section of tree trunks showing growth rings

Mark Moffett / Caterpillar that lays down batteries of toxic hairs in rings for defense poison before pupating, Rio Momon, Peru

Norbert Wu / Blue-ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena sp) deadly venom can paralyze a human's respiratory system in eight minutes, pulses blue rings when angry, Australia

Adrian Davies / Photomicrograph (mag x 50) of growth rings on tree.

Nick Turner / Cut timber showing growth rings. Gloucestershire, UK

Constantinos Petrinos / Pacific blue ring octopus {Octopus maculosa / lunulata} note enlarged blue rings of agitated animal; toxic species. Lembeh, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Colour change Sequence.

Constantinos Petrinos / Pacific blue ring octopus {Octopus maculosa / lunulata} has blue rings that enlarge when agitated; toxic species. Sulawesi, Indonesia. Colour change Sequence.

Onne van der Wal / A fisherman's anchor lying in the sand, South Island, New Zealand.

Marc Robillard / Rusty mooring ring at low tide in Locmariaquer harbours, Morbihan, Brittany.

Mike Read / Cut end of a pine tree on timber stack, Frame Heath Inclosure, New Forest National Park, Hampshire, UK, October 2010

Chris Shields / Illustration of Eyed ladybird (Anatis ocellata),~rings around spots not shown.

Chris Shields / Illustration of Eyed ladybird (Anatis ocellata), showing rings around spots.

Martin Camm / Carwardine / Illustration of cetacean tooth to show growth rings. Growth rings on right, original tooth with root on left (Wildlife Art Company).

Juan Carlos Munoz / Close-up of the trunk of a freshly cut eucalyptus tree (Ecalyptus sp). Andalusia, Spain, Jan 2010

Peter Lewis / Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) on bush, singing. Banbury Rings, Dorset.

Peter Lewis / Male stonechat (Saxicola torquata) on branch at Badbury Rings, Dorset.