Nature can be cruel as shown by these shocking pictures of a startled duckling’s last moments after being snatched by a heron.
The hungry heron first grabbed a water vole for breakfast before returning to the loch at Aviemore in Scotland an hour later for the duck.
The heartwrenching shots were taken by wildlife photographer Andy Howard as he waited for osprey to appear.
He was in a hide on the Rothiemurchus estate from 4am to catch the wildlife and he wasn’t disappointed.
Andy, 45 who lives near Inverness, specialises in photographing species found in the Cairngorms.