I had a rare chance to head into Brighton this morning for work, and gave myself a little extra time to walk the last part along Brighton beach. The weather was overcast, if not misty and very few people were about. A couple of dog-walkers was about it. 
The sea birds were still waking up. I had hoped to see the starlings over West Pier, but I suspect that's more of an evening spectacle. I wasn't entirely disappointed though. Cormorants and black-backed seagulls, happily perching along with some juvenile gulls.
The resting point is the ruins of the West Pier, one of the highlights (?) of Brighton sea front. It's been collapsing into the sea for around 30 years, and suffers periodic storm and fire damage (though there's precious little left now). All plans for rebuilding have come to nothing 🙁
And in the distance the Palace Pier (sorry, that's what it will always be to me) seen through the beach-side ruins of the West Pier.
And just to update on the fox front, nicked-ear came through the garden briefly, dodging the light showers we've had this evening. 
Camera note: The first and fourth pictures were taken with the EF 17-40mm 1:4L USM lens. The others of Brighton Beach were taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. This evening's shot of the nicked-ear vixen was taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.
Vulpes vulpes
17 Dec 2008Nice capture of the line up of gulls! 😀
CedarFox
17 Dec 2008I like the way you got the pier to show its age. 🙂
gdare
17 Dec 2008Also the photo of the beach, first one. It looks red there 🙂
Flying Red Fox Blog
17 Dec 2008Nice photos, i did mean to go and visit Brighton and Worthing Piers during last Summer but never got round to it lol 😛 maybe next year i will!
What sort of work were you doing there? Is it surveying the area for wildlife and things?
It was such a lovelly day today, after work i went to the beach to catch a fantastic sunset. 🙂
Words
17 Dec 2008Mark, I'd love to do some survey work, but no such luck. I was on my way to a meeting at a local college. I missed most of the good weather today, but we did have a Christmas lunch so that made up for it!
Words
17 Dec 2008Vulpes, cheers. I would have preferred some decent light, but I loved the way they were perched there.
Words
17 Dec 2008Darko, the light was strange yesterday. The beach is all pebbles (not sand), and was wet which helped bring out the deeper colours.
Words
17 Dec 2008Eric thanks. Such a shame about the West Pier. In its prime it was absolutely wonderful.
Words
18 Dec 2008Yes, waiting, waiting….
Zephirine
18 Dec 2008Your picture are always very interesting and beautiful, too! The 2 with the gulls are absolutely :yes: !!
Words
18 Dec 2008Thanks Zephirine. I took a lot of shots of the seabirds on the pier. I loved the way they were all perched together.
Zephirine
18 Dec 2008Yes, I like that way, too. And in those photos they reminds me a bit that famous Hitchcock movie… 😀
Zephirine
18 Dec 2008😀 😀
SittingFox
19 Dec 2008Nice line up of the gulls and cormarants! :up: I haven't been down that way for a while, but I've heard that the starlings are very good in the evenings – my brother was watching them on his way home from work the other day.
Words
19 Dec 2008Adele, the starlings are amazing. A vast sweeping cloud. I've seen them a couple of times when I've been in town late afternoon, but the conditions haven't been right for the camera. I just found this sequence (not mine) on Flickr.
SittingFox
19 Dec 2008Wow! :eyes:
cakkleberrylane
21 Dec 2008Beautiful photos. The beach certainly reflects your description. The gulls and the fox are so beautiful!
Words
21 Dec 2008Thanks Lois. I much prefer beaches when there's no-one about. Th eone problem is that it means the weather's hopeless whenever I go there :doh:
cakkleberrylane
22 Dec 2008🙂