A RED squirrel and a woodpecker were snapped squaring up to each other - as they fought over some nuts

Mum-of-three Karen Crawford, 59, captured the face off as the pair appeared to be having a row over a handful of nuts on a tree trunk.

In the shot the red squirrel is perched vertically on a tree stump with its paw in the air, as the bird sits on the other side with its beak wide open.

Karen had travelled to a woodland near Johnsfield, Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, from her home in Ayr, South Ayrshire, to spend the day photographing red squirrels.

She put out some nuts for the squirrel but a great spotted woodpecker got to the treats first and began to get aggressive when the squirrel tried to approach the tree stump.

Keen wildlife snapper Karen said: “The squirrels are normally waiting for you to put nuts out for them, but the woodpecker arrived first and had to protect its territory.

“The woodpecker was on one side of the stump feeding on the nuts and as soon as it saw the squirrel it became aggressive towards it.

“The squirrel didn’t back off at first but eventually it knew it had too because it wasn’t going to get anything.

“I have never seen anything like it before.

“The squirrel had its paw raised and the bird had its beak wide open, it was like they were going to have a fight.”

Karen, who normally pictures landscapes, didn’t realise she had captured the funny shot until she got home and looked at the pictures.

She added: “I thought 'wow' when I got home and saw the picture and the reaction I have had to it has been really strong.

“I normally take landscape pictures but in terms of nature pictures this is one of the best I have ever done.”