Solvin Zankl / Baby Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) struggles against the swell to swim away from the beach where it hatched, Ostional, Costa Rica. October. Winner of the Underwater category of the G...

Doug Gimesy / Little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor), two standing on rocks at night, silhouetted against Melbourne city lights. St Kilda breakwater, Victoria, Australia. December 2016. COP26 Countdown Photo Competi...

David Woodfall / Red deer (Cervus elaphus) on moorland / blanket bog silhouetted against rushes, Alladale Estate, Scotland, UK, October.

Edwin Giesbers / Crown daisy (Glebionis coronarium) flowers against sky, low angle view. Cyprus. April.

Jack Dykinga / Rainbow over Long Canyon with fall coloured Cottonwood (Populus) trees against canyon walls, Burr Trail, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA, October 2018.

Jack Dykinga / Sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis) in flight against blue sky, Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico, USA. December.

Ross Hoddinott / Banded demoiselles (Calopteryx splendens) male, roosting among grasses, silhouetted against the sun reflected in the water, Lower Tamar Lakes, Cornwall, UK. July.

Guy Edwardes / Leopard (Panthera pardus) climbing tree, silhouetted against the sun, Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Andy Rouse / Jaguar (Panthera onca) resting against tree on riverbank, Pantanal, Brazil

Will Burrard-Lucas / Black and white image of African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bulls males facing off against each other, Tsavo Conservation Area, Kenya. Editorial use only.

David Tipling / Pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) flying against strong northerly wind off Salthouse North Norfolk, wind turbines in sea in background, England, UK. November

David Allemand / Two Snow geese (Anser caerulescens) during migration, with dark clouds against the sun, Quebec, Canada, October.

Remi Masson / Group of Black bullhead (Ameiurus melas) shoaling to protect themselves against predators, River Rhone, Rhone-Alpes, France, July.

Guy Edwardes / Waves crashing against Longships Lighthouse, Land's End, Cornwall, England, UK. February 2015.

Guy Edwardes / Waves crashing against Longships Lighthouse, Land's End, Cornwall, England, UK. February 2015.

David Fleetham / Fire Dartfish / Fire Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica) against colourful coral. Fiji's outer reef.

Nick Hawkins / Two Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) silhouetted against sky, Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, Canada, October.

Phil Savoie / Swift (Apus apus) flock screaming in flight against blue sky and clouds, Monmouthshire Wales, UK, July.

Phil Savoie / Swift (Apus apus) flock screaming in flight against blue sky and clouds, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK, July.

Phil Savoie / Swift (Apus apus) flock screaming in flight against blue sky and clouds, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK, July.

Ingo Arndt / Waves crashing against ice cliffs of iceberg off the southern tip of South Georgia Island in wind storm, Southern Ocean, Antarctic Convergence, November 2008

Ingo Arndt / Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) hanging from a blade of grass, silhouetted against the full moon, East coast USA.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus) silhouetted against sunset bokeh. Cairngorms National Park, Highlands, Scotland, UK, December.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus) at sunset silhouetted against setting sun. Cairngorms National Park, Highlands, Scotland, UK, October.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) silhouetted against autumnal woodland, Highlands, Scotland, UK, October. Winner of the Seasons Category of the British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) competition 20...

Jack Dykinga / Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) against a star filled sky with a brilliant Milky Way. Zion National Park, Utah, USA, September.

Alex Mustard / Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) young seal silhouetted against the sun as it dives after breathing, Lundy Island, Devon, UK, Bristol Channel, August

Neil Aldridge / White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) female 'Thandi' silhouetted against the sunset, Kariega Game Reserve. South Africa. Thandi's horns were taken in a brutal attack by poachers.

Alex Mustard / Maldivian anemonefish (Amphiprion nigripes) shelters against a closed magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica). Male Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Tony Wu / Juvenile Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) silhouetted against blue skies at Carnac Island, Western Australia

Steven Kazlowski / Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) silhouetted against setting sun, Bernard Spit, off the 1002 Area, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, North Slope, Alaska, USA, October. Vulnerable species.

Steven Kazlowski / Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) portrait against sky at sunset, Bernard Spit, off the 1002 Area, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, North Slope, Alaska, USA, September. Vulnerable species.

Tony Wu / Family of Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) engaged in social activity, rubbing against each other, Indian Ocean, March.

Matthias Breiter / Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) male rubbing against snow, Hudson Bay, Manitoba, Canada

Wim van den Heever / Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) herd silhouetted against the rising sun with clouds in the background. Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa

Solvin Zankl / English oak tree (Quercus robur) silhouetted against orange sky with star trails, Nauroth, Germany, October.

Solvin Zankl / Stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) silhouetted against oak tree leaf. Elbe, Germany, June.

Jeff Vanuga / Elk (Cervus canadensis) bull in velvet silhouetted against a setting sun, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, May.

Adrian Davies / Stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) male silhouetted against leaf, controlled conditions.

Ben Hall / Steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) in flight against autumn colours, Czech Republic, November. Captive.

Ben Hall / Red deer stag (Cervus elaphus) silhouetted against sky at dusk, Cheshire, October 2014

Wim van den Heever / Bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) porpoising during annual sardine run, Port St Johns, South Africa. June.

Philippe Clement / Silhouette of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) against thunderstorm clouds, Italian Alps, Gran Paradiso National Park, June, digital composite

Theo Bosboom / Birch tree (Betula pendula) with lichen, camouflaged against lichen covered rock face, Muddus National Park, Sweden. September 2014. Highly commended in GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Yea...

Bence Mate / Two Great egrets (Ardea alba) face to face against white sky, Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary. Winner of the Portfolio category of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards competition 2015.

Kirkendall-Spring / Oak trees (Quercus) in the fog, Figueroa Mountain, Los Padres National Forest, California, USA.

Sven Zacek / White-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in flight, against a clear blue sky, Norway, July.

Sven Zacek / White-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) flying, against a clear blue sky, Norway, July.

Konstantin Mikhailov / Pallas's sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) group of four flying against blue sky, Gobi Desert, Mongolia, August.

Andy Rouse / Magnificent frigate bird (Fregata magnificens) group flying against cloudy sky, Galapagos.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) charging against boat on Lake Chamo. Nechisar National Park. Ethiopia, November 2014

Pal Hermansen / Sprouting Soy beans (Glycine max) against white background

Pal Hermansen / Colourful corn (Zea mays) seeds against white background.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / White anemone (Anemone nemorosa) against pink background, Ringerike, Norway, May.

Erlend Haarberg / Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) silhouetted against stormy sky, Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway, July.

Michael D. Kern / Two Dyeing dart frogs (Dendrobates tinctorius) against background, captive occurs in Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, and French Guiana. Available for on-line use only.

Andy Trowbridge / Arctic fox (Alopex / Vulpes lagopus) stalking / hunting silhouetted against a colourful sky at sunset. Dovrefjell National Park, Norway, September.

Denis-Huot / Male black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) silhouetted against clouds, Masai-Mara Game Reserve, Kenya. March.

Jane Burton / Blue and white Burmese-cross kitten rubbing against sooty-fawn dwarf Rex rabbit.

Jack Dykinga / Yuccas (Yucca elata) silhouetted against the moon and morning light, White Sands National Park, New Mexico. January.

Ernie Janes / Hedge parsley (Torilis japonica) at sunset, silhouetted against sun, England, January.

Hougaard Malan / Large wave crashing against rock shelf. Luphathana, Pondoland, Eastern Cape, South Africa. June 2012.

Markus Varesvuo / Silhouette of Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix) against full moon, Helsinki, Finland, December

Markus Varesvuo / Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) in flight against urban backdrop. Helsinki, Finland, December

Markus Varesvuo / Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix) silhouetted against the full moon, Helsinki, Finland, December

Markus Varesvuo / Common crane (Grus grus) displaying in defense against Red fox {Vulpes vulpes} Pernaja, Finland, May 2005. Magic Moments book plate.

Alex Mustard / Portrait of Red Sea anemonefish (Amphiprion bicinctus) against open water. Abu Nuhas, Strait of Subal, Egypt. Gulf of Suez, Red Sea.

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus) spider walking silhouetted against light, captive.

Mark Taylor / Roborovski Hamster (Phodopus roborovskii) asleep sitting up, against white background

Andy Trowbridge / Arctic Fox (Alopex / Vulpes lagopus) standing on rock, silhouetted against a colourful sky at sunset. Dovrefjell National Park, Norway, September.

Andy Trowbridge / Arctic Foxes (Alopex / Vulpes lagopus) play fighting, silhouetted against a colourful sky at sunset. Dovrefjell National Park, Norway, September.

Alex Hyde / Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) feeding on a pot of jam, photographed against a white background. Derbyshire, UK. September.

Alex Hyde / Ash tree leaves (Fraxinus excelsior) photographed in mobile field studio against a white background. Derbyshire, UK. September.

Bruno D'Amicis / Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) female and kids silhouetted against the waters of Adriatic Sea at sunrise. Endemic to the Apennine mountains. Majella National Park. Abruzzo, Italy, July.

Mark Taylor / Waves breaking against sea wall and cliffs, Seaford, Sussex, England, UK, 15th February 2014.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) calling, silhouetted against the sun, Pantanal, Matto Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Walia ibex (Capra walie) silhouetted against the sky, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia.

Danny Green / Adult Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus) scratching its back against a tree, Bandhavgarh National Park, India, February.

Alex Mustard,Alex Mustard / A portrait of a Mediterranean anthias (Anthias anthias) against open water. Secca Del Papa, Tavolara Marine Protected Area, Sardinia, Italy. Mediterranean Sea.

Laurent Geslin / European brown bear {Ursos arctos} rubbing back against tree trunk in snow, captive, Switzerland, February

Laurent Geslin / Amara woman preparing traditional product to protect against flies, North Ethiopia, 2006

Franco Banfi / Piraputanga (Brycon hilarii) reflecting on the water surface, Aquirio Natural, Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Andrew Parkinson / Gannet (Morus bassanu) adult in flight against stormy seas. Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, September.

Ben Hall / Northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) in flight against a waterfall, Iceland, January

Paul Harcourt Davies,Paul Harcourt Davies / Peacock butterfly (Inachis io) resting against a wood shed window, Orvieto, Italy, June

Juergen Freund / Seeds and flower from large tropical almond, sea almond, beach almond (Terminalia catappa) against black sand, Sulawesi beach, Indonesia

Andy Rouse / African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) silhoutted against setting sun. Maasai Mara, Kenya, Africa, August.

Paul Harcourt Davies,Paul Harcourt Davies / Heldreich's Ophrys (Ophrys heldreichii) in flower, against white background, near Plakias, Crete, May

Niall Benvie,Niall Benvie / Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) on barbed wire, against white background (field studio). Scotland, January.

Niall Benvie,Niall Benvie / Wall Lizard (Podarcis lilfordi) against white background. France, August.

Niall Benvie / Bramble (Rubus plicatus) leaves and stem against white background. France, August.

Niall Benvie,Niall Benvie / Large Marsh Grasshopper (Stethophyma grossum) against white background. France, August.

Niall Benvie,Niall Benvie / Oak Eggar Moth (Lasiocampa quercus) against white background. France, July.

Niall Benvie,Niall Benvie / Common Frog (Rana temporaria) at surface, against white background. Scotland, UK, July.

Niall Benvie,Niall Benvie / Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) flower head against white background. Scotland, UK, August.