The Joy of Sussex: No. 2 Murmurations

But around this time each year as the nights draw in, us living down on the Sussex coast get to see one of nature’s great displays.

Thousands of starlings from Russia and Scandinavia arrive at these shores for the supposed warmth of the UK.

They congregate with their native cousins on the rusty beams of the West Pier, heading out in the day to the farms of the South Downs to pick off tasty insects.

However, it is their evening activities that see them included in our list.

As darkness falls they take to the skies en masse and swoop, dive and soar with the English Channel as their backdrop.

In tight formation, the black mass of birds change direction as one in a split second.

And luckily for us, we get to see it like clockwork every night between November and January.

Sara Humphrey, from Brighton RSPB, explained why the birds take to the air each evening.

She said: “There are a few reasons. It is often started by a predator such as a falcon. There is safety in numbers so they all stick together as it is much harder for a bird of prey to pick off a lone starling like that.

“They also stay warm together and there is a theory that it is a good information exchange. The birds can find out where the best places are to get food for the following day.”

By why Brighton and Hove? Why not Chichester, Worthing or Eastbourne?

It’s all down to West Pier. Miss Humphrey explained that the numerous metal girders, poles and bars not only accommodate the large numbers but also provide protection from predators.

Sadly the birds are in decline to the tune of 80 per cent in recent years. The fall in their number is thought to be down to the increased use of pesticides killing their food source along with a reduction in nesting sites.

Cities such as Leeds, Glasgow and Liverpool used to enjoy the spectacular aerial displays in years gone by but Brighton and Hove is now one of the few places you can witness the spectacular natural display.