STAR-TI-LING: 40,000 STARLINGS MIMIC HITCHCOCK'S THE BIRDS- This could be the fearsome scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds as a flock of 40,000 starlings bask in the heat of a wonderful British sunset. The extraordinary light and shadows echoes the 1960s hit film as huge numbers of the birds appear ready to descend and attack earth below. Fortunately it was actually a far more peaceful setting on Brighton Pier as the amazing murmuration of the birds gathered around the coastline of the seaside resort. They swooped around in the winter sun in February this year, as captured by Hove based photographer Alan Mackenzie. He said despite the large numbers of birds, they have dramatically dwindled in recent decades.Alan, 32, said: "Moments like this make me proud to live on such a beautiful planet and appreciative of the fact that, as a human living in the modern world, I am privileged enough to observe it all
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
THIS is the incredible moment a pelican throws a fish into the air and SLAM DUNKS it into its enormous throat sack .
Gigantic 100ft waves create the perfect playground for dare-devil surfers from across the world .
SITTING on a burning sofa unable to move, one man turns his terrifying dreams into reality .
SURROUNDED by a snowstorm, these young polar bears battle the elements - as well as each other .
These photographs of extreme weather capture storms furiously rolling across the sky above America .
GLAMPING is taken to a whole new level in the form of the luxurious Pop-Up Hotel .
Sprawled out on top of a log, this sleeping leopard takes a relaxing break from his daily routine .
THIS alien-like bug would look more at home in outer-space but it can actually be found wriggling around here on Earth .
With a dust covered coat hung from a wardrobe door and a pair of glasses left on a shelf, a remote farmhouse lies abandoned in the Welsh countryside .
ROLLING across a 65-metre-high viaduct in the Alps, the red carriages of the Bernina Express add a splash of colour to the spectacular snow-covered Swiss surroundings .