THERE'S some real animal magic in The Press today, thanks to members of The Press Camera Club. We particularly like Paul Bailey's close-up of a Lily beetle, munching (of course) on a lily in Paul's garden. There's wonderful detail and texture in the photo: this is an insect with real weight and heft and character.

The same is true of Michael Hill's snail. Michael has caught the animal's vulnerability, its tentacles fully extended and testing the air. Not many people would have thought of taking a snail portrait ... but this one's a beauty.

Anne Crawford's puffin at Bempton Cliffs is one of a series of photographs she has posted that tell a story of failed communication - you'll have to visit the Camera Cub facebook page to see the others. For the rest, Paul Greenwood's heron is magnificent; David Wood's wise old bird not perhaps quite as wise as it would like to think; and Sue Warcup's sleeping rabbit kits unbearably cute.

Many (though not all) of these photos are entries in this month's #portrait competition. There are still a couple of weeks to go, so if you think you can do better, you still have plenty of time to get your entries in. Happy snapping!

Stephen Lewis