I live just a few minutes walk away from Brighton's West Pier on the south coast of England. Opened in 1866, it is the country's only Grade I listed pier but has been closed since 1975 and in recent years has succumbed to the elements and other misfortunes. The Pier was the victim of two arson attacks during 2003 and in a freak summer storm in 2004 the concert hall completely collapsed into the sea. Also during 2004, the Heritage Lottery Fund withdrew £14.2m of funding and the prospects of the Pier ever being restored and rebuilt have looked extremely unlikely ever since. However, the building of the privately funded i360 observation mast (designed by architects of the London Eye) next to the Pier is due to start soon and it could well spark an increased interest and possible reinvestment in the rebuilding of the West Pier.

The dramatic winter gathering of European starlings, known as a 'murmuration', at the West Pier is still occurring in spite of its rapid deterioration although many thousands of birds now roost under the Brighton Pier (formerly known as the Palace Pier). The reason for their amazing displays each evening is still a mystery but it's thought it could be an anti-predatory strategy against birds of prey such as peregrine falcons, merlins and sparrowhawks. Starlings are now listed as one of the most at-risk in the UK and their decline is thought to be largely a result of the crash in insect prey numbers caused by chemical use and intensive methods in farming since the 1970's. The first 4 pictures were taken in late 2008 and the others in early 1998 (prior to the fires and the concert hall's collapse).