This incredible sequence of photographs has captured the deadly moment a great grey owl swoops down on an unassuming mouse and snags its prey.
The majestic bird swoops from the sky to snatch the tiny rodent from the ground below.
Wings spread and talons outstretched, the magnificent bird grabs its prey and firmly clutches in its beak before tucking into the tasty meal.
Majestic: The great grey owl swoops down on the tiny mouse which has no chance of escaping
The shots were captured in February by photographer Tom Samuelson, 55, while taking photographs along the Lake Superior shoreline just south of Two Harbors in Minnesota, U.S.
Mr Samuelson, from Minnesota, said: 'A friend and I continually monitor different websites for wildlife activity in the area and heard there were a good number of owls at the location so headed over.
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'Although owls are notoriously shy creatures it is possible to get up close and personal with them.
'Great greys are very tolerant of humans as long as you approach them in the right manner.
Helpless: The unassuming mouse has no idea that it is about the be captured by the magnificent bird
Nature: Wings spread and talons outstretched, the owl bird snares its helpless prey before tucking into the meal
Caught: These incredible images showing the moment an owl captures its prey were taken by wildlife photographer Tom Samuelson
'I have had them within feet of me and they will sit there as long as you are quiet and don't move.
'On this occasion our tip was right on the money as we didn't have to wait long to capture the amazing animal.'
Mr Samuelson had barely set up his Canon 5D Mark II camera when the owl swooped in to catch the mouse.
No match: The owl holds the defenseless mouse in his beak before eating it for dinner
Dinner: The shots were captured by photographer Tom Samuelson while shooting along the Lake Superior shoreline in Minnesota
All gone: Mr Samuelson had barely set up his Canon 5D Mark II camera when the owl swooped in to catch the mouse
Magnificent: According to Mr Samuelson owls are shy creatures but it is possible to get up close to photograph them
'It was an incredible yet quite terrifying moment to see how quickly and accurately the owls can catch prey like that,' he said.
'I didn't think the shots would come out so clean with it happening so fast.
'I love nature photography - it gets me out into the natural world. There is so much beauty out there.'