SWOOPING and diving in unison across a painted sky, the famed Brighton starlings have been delighting visitors to the seafront.

Around this time each year, thousands of starlings perform their aerial dance each evening before settling down for the night on Palace Pier and the ruins of the West Pier in Brighton.

According to experts, February is one of the best times to see them.

The display is called a murmuration and it is thought the birds stay close together for protection and to communicate about the best feeding spots.

As well as the resident starlings, birds also come from Eastern Europe and Russia to escape from the cold.