ust in time for Valentine's Day, the love hearts of nature

Charming pictures capture Mother Nature's romantic side
Ever seen a fluffy penguin with a white heart on its chest? Look no further...

With Valentine's Day just around the corner it's the time of year when love is in the air but as these pictures prove - it's all over the earth too.

These extraordinary images, taken by photographers across the globe, show Mother Nature is also gearing up to celebrate the big day with iconic heart shapes appearing all over the natural world.

The charming pictures capture Mother Nature's romantic side and feature several signs of love including an adorable fluffy penguin with a white heart emblazoned on its chest.

Other natural displays include a flamingo creating a heart shape with its white and pink plumage and two swans which appear to kiss as they form a heart shape with their necks.

Elsewhere a swarm of bees form an iconic heart as they hang from a tree and two mating dragonflies also form the universal sign for love.

It's not just the animal kingdom getting romantic though, a yellow tulip flower is pictured with red hearts on its petals and a bright red heart-shaped Red Anthurium flower can also be seen.

Meanwhile mysterious heart-shaped holes have also been spotted in tree trunks and rock formations around the world.

Green and pleasant land: Makepeace Island off Australia's Sunshine Coast is the perfect retreat for any romantic couple

The most adorable penguin in the world? This chick's white heart is markings are unmissable while a waterbuck's distinctive nose smudge is more subtle

Ticked pink: This rock formation in Nevada is both the shape and colour generally associated with love

Unconventional: Not immediately associated with romance, these damselflies (left) are seen mating while a huge number of honey bees create a heart as they hagn suspended from a tree branch

I'm forever blowing bubbles: A white Beluga whale produces a heart-shaped pocket of air for visitors at Harbin Polarland in Harbin, China

A flamingo with its beautiful pink and red feathers making a heart shape as it bends forward

Damselflies make the shape of a heart while balancing on a blade of grass

A pair of bee-eating Merops during nesting period in Israel

Fordy the cat looking for a rub under his chin and a similar-looking cat (right) with a bright pink nose and a heart marking on his fur at chest level