A photographer has captured the moment a fish wriggled free from the beak of a kingfisher.

Michael Yuille got up at 6.30am to set up in a hideout hoping to catch sight of the wildlife in its natural habitat.

The amateur photographer saw two birds swooping over the River Dee at Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway and captured the moment a fish managed to escape from being swallowed.

Mr Yuille, 68, said: "I watched the kingfisher perched with a fish in its beak, then again when it dived into the water.

"I think it was a female - by this point in the year, the young ones have fledged.

"It had dived in to catch the fish.

"But it didn't get a firm enough hold, and the fish escaped from the bird's beak."

The retired accountant, from Dunblane, took up photography as a hobby several years ago.

Mr Yuille said: "We were in the hide on the riverbank, it was very peaceful.

"I waited for the bird to perch, and as it dived I pressed the shutter. I took about ten or 20 shots in a few seconds.

"The first one shows it perched on a branch with a couple of fish. It is wonderful watching them.

"They are quite small birds, about six inches - the size of a sparrow. They are fantastic, they fly so quickly and dive in and out."