A family of blue tits have made their nest in an unusual spot – inside the nose of a ceramic pig's head.
Married couple Andrew and Lisa Dowden have had the pig's head in their garden for over seven years and it was never intended as a nesting site.
But a pair of blue tits took a fancy to the unusual garden ornament, in Sandown, Isle of Wight, and moved in.
Dowden, 60, who made the ceramic head, said: "The parents were taking food inside for the nestlings and one of the images shows an insect in a bird's beak.
"They sometimes landed on the pig's ears before flying into the nostrils with insects for the nestlings."
Dowden, 50, added: "My husband's serious interest is making ceramics – the pig's head was an experiment and was never intended as a bird nesting box.
"We put it in the garden during the summer months and keep it in the shed through the winter.
"It is very entertaining and interesting to watch – seeing the fledglings appear at the nostrils to fly out made us smile.
"My husband thinks the pig's head looks rather severe, but it didn't seem to detract the birds from nesting inside."
Plane almost lands on surfacing whale
The moment a seaplane almost landed on a surfacing whale has been caught on video.
Thomas Hamm captured the scene on his mobile phone as the aircraft came within feet of crashing into a humpback whale in the remote village of Angoon in Alaska.
The de Havilland Beaver is about to land in a seemingly calm bay, but then pulls up sharply as the surfacing whale blows a geyser of water up over the plane's windshield.
"The guy I was with on the dock looked at me and said, 'Tell me you got that?'," said Mr Hamm, a businessman from San Diego, California.
"I played it back and there was the plane and the whale. "These guys who fly in Alaska, let me tell you, they are good."
The video captures the reaction of shocked onlookers, as the plane lands safely seconds later. "Damn near landed right on that whale!" one shocked witness can be heard yelling.
Another adds: "He had to go right over it because of a whale!"
Dog plays piano and sings along
A video of a dog playing piano and howling along in tune is proving an unlikely online hit.
More than 40,000 people have watched the canine's improvised avant garde musicianship.
The young Basenji dog hops up on the stool, bashes the keys and howls along, virtually in key.
And when his solo creativity runs dry, and young human pianist jumps up to lend a hand and the talented pooch howls along in a duet.
Toaster for people who could eat themselves
A US firm has created the perfect invention for people who just can't get enough of themselves.
The Toaster Selfie allows self-obsessed users to burn a picture of themselves onto every slice.
Vermont-based Burnt Impressions are behind the customisable kitchen appliance which they are selling online for $75 (£43).
Customers just send a photograph of themselves to the firm which then promises to send out their personal Selfie Toaster within a week.
The company says on its website: "We are good, but remember fine detail is darn near impossible to achieve with heat and toast.
"If we squint and can't see your face, we will cancel the order and refund your purchase."
Post published in: World News