They say a picture speaks a thousand words.
But a new photograph of a kingfisher, which show Mother Nature in all her glory, are so stunning as to nearly defy them.
The striking image, produced without photoshop or artificial intelligence, shows the bird diving into a pond at night in Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway.
It is moving so fast that it leaves glowing trails of light behind it, in the blue and orange hues of its brightly coloured feathers.
The gorgeous snaps were taken by experienced wildlife photographer Keith Kirk, 69, from nearby Castle Douglas.
He used a slow shutter speed to capture the kingfisher's famously quick, minute movements, which are near invisible to the naked eye, and create the beautiful shots.
Captured this month, the images show the familiar riverside creature transformed into streaks of colour as it launches from a perch and plunges towards the water.
The striking image, produced without photoshop or artificial intelligence, shows the bird diving into a pond at night in Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway
