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
A little brown bear cub shows his doting mum that she is always on parent duty as he uses her as a scratching post .
Surveying its surroundings, a tiny harvest mouse climbs the stem of a dandelion .
An adorable little squirrel wakes from a nap and pops out his tongue for the camera .
GIANT garden sculptures don't beat about the bush .
FLEXING his muscles and staring straight at his opponent, this bodybuilding squirrel is the nuts .
SNUGGLED up in the hay away from the elements, this adorable hoglet has sought solace with a familiar friend .
A NINJA red squirrel cuts a dashing figure as the little fella jumps up to ten-feet between treetops in the Yorkshire Dales .
HEART-MELTING shots of a French bulldog and a ten-month-old French baby could be the cutest you’re likely to see .
LIKE A living balloon this baitball of sardines is ready to burst when threatened by a pointy nosed sailfish .
FORGET Thorpe Park this summer as this is a 50 mile-per-hour ride over the Colorado River CANYON .
WITH A wide smile plastered across his face, this little gecko is ready for his close up .