The week in wildlife

Ducks trundle towards take-off over the frozen river Oder near the Polish border Photograph: Michael Urban/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Michael Urban/guardian.co.uk A grey whale calf noses some sea plants in the Ojo de Liebre lagoon in Guerrero Negro, Mexico Photograph: Omar Torres/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Omar Torres/guardian.co.uk A northern pintail drake in a semi-dry prairie pothole in South Dakota. Such scenes may become more common as recent research indicates that fewer wetlands will be available for waterfowl due to the warming climate. Earlier this week was also the annual World Wetlands Day Photograph: Lawrence Igl/U.S. Geological Survey Photograph: Lawrence Igl/guardian.co.uk A bee prepares for landing on a blossoming cherry tree in Taipei. Cherry blossoms in Taiwan have bloomed earlier than normal, which local scientists put down to global warming Photograph: Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Sam Yeh/guardian.co.uk The British Society of Underwater Photography's annual DIVER Print competition deadline is approaching (22 February). In it, the Wildlife Trusts will judge entries into the British and Irish category with a Living Seas theme. Here is the runner-up from last year's competition by Cathy Lewis, of a painted goby, a wee thing of just 6cm in length Photograph: Cathy Lewis/Wildlife Trust Photograph: Cathy Lewis/guardian.co.uk A white stork stands at the river Havel in north-east Germany with those incredible blades ominously half open Photograph: Jens Schlueter/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Jens Schlueter/guardian.co.uk Deer gambol through a snow covered meadow near Rehren, north Germany Photograph: Focke Strangmann/AP Photograph: Focke Strangmann/guardian.co.uk The American pika – a small mountain-dwelling mammal that is made all the cuter by the fact it cannot tolerate the heat. An announcement is expected today on whether the pika becomes the first animal in the US to get federal protection because of climate change Photograph: USGS/AP Photograph: USGS/guardian.co.uk Juvenile (left) and adult Oreophryne ezra frogs – an extraordinary new species discovered in Papua New Guinea that dramatically changes colour as it matures Photograph: Fred Kraus Photograph: guardian.co.uk This is believed to be the rare Amazon kingfisher, a bird never previously reported in the US, sitting on a branch along the banks of Zacate Creek in Texas. Many photographers staked out and snapped this unruffled fellow, but the American Birding Association must confirm its sighting before the it can be considered official Photograph: Cuate Santos/AP Photograph: Cuate Santos/guardian.co.uk The vanishing prairie dog has been found to have perhaps an even more complex language than dolphins , as they use different "words" that correspond to different predators. This particular pair, ever vigilant, are peering out of their hole at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge in Denver Photograph: Ed Andrieski/AP Photograph: Ed Andrieski/guardian.co.uk Three wolves play in the snow at the zoo in Worms, west Germany Photograph: Torsten Silz/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Torsten Silz/guardian.co.uk A siskin, top, and a great tit vie for for food in Tamins, Switzerland. Talking of tits and siskins, our Big Garden Birdwatch is open for submissions until February 8. Get involved Photograph: Jakob Menolfi/EPA Photograph: Jakob Menolfi/guardian.co.uk A group of sea otters milling about in Morro Bay, California. The endangered sea otters and fishermen have been competing for shellfish in the waters , leading to remarkable bureaucratic interventions such as drawing a line in the ocean separating the two, creating a colony for the creatures on a distant island and even marking out a "no-otter zone" Photograph: Reed Saxon/AP Photograph: Reed Saxon/guardian.co.uk The frozen Stickle Tarn lake in the Lake District, overlooked by Pavey Ark. The area has been popular with mountaineers and ice climbers due to the recent very cold weather, which has created many frozen waterfalls Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images Photograph: Oli Scarff/guardian.co.uk A Shetland pony looking surprisingly intimidating as it gallops through the snow in Breckerfeld, west Germany Photograph: Sascha Schuermann/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Sascha Schuermann/guardian.co.uk