A red squirrel appears to be enjoying a moment of quiet reflection as it sips from a pool of water.
The image, along with pictures of two more squirrels gathering nuts, was captured by wildlife photographer Simon Woodley in Dumfries and Galloway.
Mr Woodley, 59, admitted it took great patience to photograph the squirrels in their natural environment – taking dozens of shots before coming up with the stunning images.
He headed to woods in Kirkcudbright with his wife Alison, 57, to find the elusive red squirrel as they prepared for the autumn and winter.
Simon Woodley via SWNSThe dad-of-three said: “My wife and I were just out for a walk and hoped to use a hide to see some red squirrels but it was closed due to Covid.
“We were about to head away from the woods and get some lunch when suddenly there were three moving by a pool of water.
“I crouched down and was about 6ft away and as one of them lowered its head to drink I captured it making a perfect reflection.
“Another one looked pregnant and was busy eating nuts while the other was gathering food.
“They must have stayed around the pool for around 15 minutes and in that time I took dozens of shots.
“It was the closest I’ve been to a red squirrel.”
Red squirrels were once common across Britain, but their numbers declined rapidly following the introduction of the grey squirrel.
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