Nature lovers have shared their snaps of the awe-inspiring starling murmurations in Brighton with The Argus.

Starlings group together in these magnificent displays across Sussex but the murmuration between the Palace Pier and the West Pier is arguably the most famous in the county.

The Argus: Starlings at Brighton Palace PierStarlings at Brighton Palace Pier (Image: Argus Camera Club member Emma Crosby)

A murmuration is the name given to large groups of starlings which gather and fly as a flock - dipping, diving and swerving in unison.

The Argus: West Pier behind the starling murmurationWest Pier behind the starling murmuration (Image: Argus Camera Club member Emma Crosby)

One reason starlings gather in murmurations is to stay warm at night.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said starlings also come together to "exchange information, such as good feeding areas".

The Argus: Starlings at sunsetStarlings at sunset (Image: Sophie Jasmin Mitchell)

But the key function of murmurations is for protection.

Starlings gather over their roosting site, performing their hypnotising aerial acrobatics before roosting for the night.

The Argus: Vanessa Friend captured the murmuration in WorthingVanessa Friend captured the murmuration in Worthing (Image: Argus Camera Club member Vanessa Friend)

Autumn roosts tend to start to form in November, although they have been known to begin as early as September and October and carry on through to early spring. As the weeks go by, murmurations grow as more and more starlings join the roost.

The best time to see their aerial displays is in the early evening, just before dusk.

These may be the last few weeks people will be able to witness the natural phenomenon before the birds return again in the autumn.