ANIMALS, birds and insects have captured the imagination of Derby Telegraph readers this week, as these colourful pictures show.

A thrush, damselflies and a busy robin are just some of the highlights snapped by readers while they were out and about enjoying the countryside.

In one picture, a foal is seen nestling up to its mother in a sunny field of buttercups in Smalley.

It was taken by Richard Miller, who also snapped a close-up of two damselflies at West Park Meadow nature reserve in Spondon.

Regular contributor Bob Dempsey was on hand to capture a picture of coots on the canal at Shardlow and Eric Desborough snapped this robin just about to enjoy a tasty morsel.

Barrie Henton pictured a thrush at Darley Abbey churchyard.

If you would like your picture of Derbyshire to be considered for publication, simply e-mail it with your name and saying where it was taken to: yourpictures@derbytelegraph.co.uk.

It must be recent, a minimum file size of 5MB and taken with your camera on its finest quality setting.

We cannot accept prints or negatives. Readers retain copyright but grant the Derby Telegraph permission to use them in connection with future articles.