Michel Poinsignon / Black headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) taking off, detail of legs and water droplets, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) catching fish in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Song thrush (Turdus philomelos clarkei) collecting nesting material, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April. Small reproduction only.

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) catching fish in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Great white egret (Egretta alba) preening feathers, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Eurasian pygmy Owl (Glaucidium passerinum) perched on conifer branch, Vosges Mountains, France, June.

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) landing on lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Great white egret (Egretta alba) detail of plumage and legs from the front, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Great white egret (Egretta alba) catching fish in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Black stork (Ciconia nigra) reflected in water, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) catching fish in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Two tawny owl (Strix aluco) chicks emerging from nest in tree, Luxembourg. May.

Michel Poinsignon / Kingfisher(Alcedo atthis) male perched on branch over river with fish in beak, Lorraine, France. May.

Michel Poinsignon / European wild cat (Felis silvestris) kitten portrait, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, captive.

Michel Poinsignon,Michel Poinsignon / Merens horse (Equus caballus) mare with resting foal, Pyrenees mountains, France, August.

Michel Poinsignon / Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) female, clinging between two twigs, Lorraine, France, October.

Michel Poinsignon / Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) pair on plant facing each other, Lorraine, France, September.

Michel Poinsignon / Mute swan (Cygnus olor) two adults on water in courtship display, Lorraine, France, January.

Michel Poinsignon / Martagon lily (Lilium martagon) in flower, Vosges, Lorraine, France, July.

Michel Poinsignon / River view between Leon pond and Atlantic ocean, Courant D'Huchet Landes, France, August 2010.

Michel Poinsignon / Eagle owl (Bubo bubo) adult perched on branch close to cliff, Luxembourg, February

Michel Poinsignon / Red helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra) in flower, Lorraine, France, June

Michel Poinsignon / Flock of Mute swans (Cygnus olor) in winter, snowing, Lorraine, France, February

Michel Poinsignon / European hare (Lepus capensis europaeus) running across field in winter, snowing, Lorraine, France, February

Michel Poinsignon / Field scabious flower (Knautia arvensis) with green metallic flower beetle, Lorraine, France, May

Michel Poinsignon / Cooling towers of Nuclear power station with farmland and straw bales in the foreground, Cattenom, France

Michel Poinsignon / Looking down on a large group of Fly agaric fungi caps {Amanita muscaria} Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Cep fungi {Boletus edulis} growing through moss, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Little ringed plover {Charadrius dubius} nest with four eggs camouflaged on shingle, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Green woodpecker {Picus viridis} male at nest hole, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Group of Fly agaric fungi {Amanita muscaria} in woodland, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Electricity wires in front of cooling towers of Nuclear power station, Cattenom, France

Michel Poinsignon / Six spot burnet moths {Zygaena filipendulae) Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Wind turbine with oil seed rape flowers in the foreground, Sarre, Germany

Michel Poinsignon / European praying mantis {Mantis religiosa} on hawthorn berries, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) flying from nest-hole in tree, Vosges Mountains, France. Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009: Nature in Black and White category: Runner-up...

Michel Poinsignon / Female Mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) on water, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) returning to eggs on nest with chicks on back, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Stream in autumn woodland with fallen beech leaves, Lorraine, France, November

Michel Poinsignon / European praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) male on plant waiting for prey, Arnaville,Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Yellow Plums on branch (Prunus domestica) bearing ripe fruit, Lorraine, France, september

Michel Poinsignon / Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) diving for prey in a river, Lorraine, France.

Michel Poinsignon / Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) taking off from water after diving for prey, Lorraine, France.

Michel Poinsignon / Grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) female perched on rock in stream carrying food, Lorraine, France, May

Michel Poinsignon / Grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) male perched on rock in stream, Lorraine, France, May

Michel Poinsignon / Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) preening in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) with prey, capturing a Bumblebee (Bombus sp) on common sainfoin flower (Onobrychis viciifolia) , Ottange, Lorraine, France, june

Michel Poinsignon / Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) landing in winter, Lorraine, France, March

Michel Poinsignon / Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male, after diving, taking off from water with fish, a Common Roach (Rutilus rutilus) Lorraine, France, August

Michel Poinsignon / Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male, after diving, taking off from water with fish, a Common Roach (Rutilus rutilus) Lorraine, France, August

Michel Poinsignon / Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male, after diving, taking off from water with fish, a Common Roach (Rutilus rutilus) Lorraine, France, August

Michel Poinsignon / Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male fishing, diving for prey in a river, Lorraine, France, August

Michel Poinsignon / Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male fishing, diving for prey in a river, Lorraine, France, August

Michel Poinsignon / Jay (Garrulus glandarius) perched on branch in winter, Lorraine, Moselle, France.

Michel Poinsignon / Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) perched on branch in winter, Lorraine, France, March

Michel Poinsignon / Blackbird (Turdus merula) Male bathing, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Black headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) flying, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) adult singing in reedbed. Baie de Somme. France. April

Michel Poinsignon / Red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) resting on leaf, Lorraine, France, July

Michel Poinsignon / Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium passerinum) Chick peering out of the nest hole in tree, Vosges Mountains, France, June.

Michel Poinsignon / Black stork (Ciconia nigra) with head in water whilst fishing, reflected in water, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Black headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) flying, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Black headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) flying with fish in beak, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) adult perched in reedbed, Remerschen, Luxembourg, May

Michel Poinsignon / Puffin (Fratercula arctica) collecting nesting material , Isle of Lunga, Treshnish Isles, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, UK, July

Michel Poinsignon / Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male flying from the nest, Lorraine, France, May

Michel Poinsignon / Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male flying from the nest, Lorraine, France, May

Michel Poinsignon / Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male flying to nest with fish, Lorraine, France, May

Michel Poinsignon / Hoopoe (Upupa epops) male feeding female in courtship display, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) flying over water, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) flying near water, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Great white egret (Egretta alba) portrait, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Great tit (Parus major) perched on Dog rose branch (Rosa canina) with rosehips in winter. Lorraine. France. December.

Michel Poinsignon / Great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) singing amongst reeds, Remerschen, Luxembourg, May

Michel Poinsignon / Great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) singing amongst reeds, Remerschen, Luxembourg, May

Michel Poinsignon / Common crane (Grus grus) silhouetted in flight at sunrise during autumn migration, Lac du Der, France, November.

Michel Poinsignon / Blue tit (Parus caeruleus) perched on teasel seed head in snow in winter, Lorraine. France.

Michel Poinsignon / Blue tit (Parus caeruleus) perched on Dog rose branch (Rosa canina) in winter. Lorraine, France. December.

Michel Poinsignon / Black headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) calling, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) in flower, Moselle, Lorraine, France, March.

Michel Poinsignon / European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with a Puffin (Fratercula arctica) in the background. Puffins will often use old rabbit burrows as a nesting site, Isle of Lunga, Treshnish Isles, Inner Hebride...

Michel Poinsignon / Eurasian pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum) perched on conifer branch with prey, Vosges Mountains, France, June.

Michel Poinsignon / Tourists returning to boat on Lunga Island, walking to boat, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, UK, July.

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) with beak open, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) foraging in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) foraging in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) swallowing a fish, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Black headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) catching fish in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) in snow in winter, Lorraine, France. January.

Michel Poinsignon / Spring Snowflake (Leucojum vernum) in flower with bokeh affect and tiny spider on lower flower, Moselle, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Family watching and photographing Puffins (Fratercula arctica) at nesting colony, Island of Lunga, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, UK, July 2015.

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) foraging in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Great white egret (Egretta alba) preening feathers, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) foraging in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Greylag goose (Anser anser) reflected in water, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) catching fish in lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April