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
USUALLY full to bursting, these London Underground stations stand silent and completely commuter free .
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
CAUSING a splash, this determined kingfisher goes hunting for dinner .
RACING through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles .
A diver attempts to control rising numbers of lionfish by feeding the venomous species to Caribbean reef sharks .
These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .
A little brown bear cub shows his doting mum that she is always on parent duty as he uses her as a scratching post .
THEIR gnarling teeth at the ready, these two baboons fight it out for the last piece of fruit .
STRIKING photos capture nature at its most raw and powerful during Earth’s most electrifying event .
These photographs of extreme weather capture storms furiously rolling across the sky above America .
WITH LUSH GREEN LANDSCAPES stretching out as far as the eye can see, you're in for a treat at these one of a kind treehouses .
BEAUTIFULLY lit by the dim glow of lanterns, a cave in Iceland is transformed into the perfect wedding venue .