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
Balanced on one leg, a frog assumes the crane kick martial arts stance made famous in the movie The Karate Kid .
As sunlight cascades through its vibrant stained glass windows, every inch of the Nasir-ol-Mulk Mosque bursts with colour .
PAWS for thought as you feast your eyes on this rare bear bathing session .
A pair of chicks bravely decided to befriend a python, despite being the snake's favourite choice of food .
WONDERS of the world have been transformed into their mini-versions in a seven-year round the world adventure .
STARING intently into the camera, a polar bear appears to be lost in thought while relaxing in the snow .
IT'S the iconic TV show that influenced a whole generation in the 1990s .
THE THOUGHT OF BECOMING shipwrecked on a remote destination would fill most holidaymakers with dread .
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .
A grey whale and her calf greet an audience of awestruck admirers on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico .