Shetland Auks

Its sad to hear that bird flu is still hitting hard, this time down in Aberdeen/ Stonehaven way. Today a 3 mile walk on an Aberdeenshire beach produced 388  dead Guillemot, 20 tern and 6 Razorbill and there could have been more as the person gave up zig zagging to count. During the previous 7 days 100's more had been washed up, this may only be a fraction of those dying from bird flu.

So far in Shetland i have only found 10 dead gulls, mostly Fulmar and Kittiwake.

On the isle of May NNR the terns have suffered badly but Puffins doing ok.

Up at Sumburgh in Shetland lots of jumplings (young Guillemots can be seen and they will be heading out to sea any day now

Auks fly fast and direct and often very low until they need to climb up the the nest sites on the cliffs

                                                     Shag with fresh nest material

                                                   Razorbills also seem to be doing well

Bridled Guillemots are commonly found in the normal guillemot colonies, more nest in Shetland than Scotland

Bridled Guillemots are more common in Shetland with around 26% of all Guillemots as bridled but only 1% at Bempton

The sea bird colonies will soon be deserted as they head out to sea or migrate south, just hope they can avoid bird flue