Hundreds of dead seabirds have been found washed up at an Angus beauty spot, sparking fears of a new avian flu outbreak.
Between 50 and 100 dead birds have been found each day on the beach at Lunan Bay in the last week.
Meanwhile, many more sick or dying birds have been witnessed flocking and huddling on the estuary.
Fears of fresh avian flu outbreak in Angus
At this time of year birds such as Kittiwakes are usually found nesting high on cliffs.
Rangers from the conservation group Lunan Bay Communities Partnership have reported dozens of dead Kittiwakes having been appearing on the beach since late last week.
The group described the deaths as “deeply alarming”.
A spokesperson for the partnership said: “Rangers have been finding anything up to 100 dead birds washed up each tide which is deeply alarming.
“It’s all the hallmarks of being avian flu.”
Avian flu, also referred to as bird flu, is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds.
In rare cases, it can affect humans.
“We’ve spoken to fellow agencies elsewhere who are witnessing similar situations,” the spokesperson added.
“It’s the Kittiwake population that is mainly suffering this time where as it was mainly guillemots that were affected in 2022.
Dead and sick birds found at Lunan Bay
“We are also observing flocks of up to 200 kittiwakes huddling on the estuary which is unusual behavior at this time of year.
“The fact that they are allowing us to approach and get very close to them before they disperse suggests they are have very little energy so are either sick or dying.”
“We also had reports of dogs having been witnessed catching and killing a number of birds.”
It comes as more dead seabirds were washed up on Stonehaven beach between the harbour and the town’s open air swimming pool, with one passerby describing the scene as “very upsetting”.
The partnerships is now advising dog owners to keep their pets on leads at all times while on the beach.
“We are urging all dog owners to act responsibly with their pets and to keep their dogs on leads at all times to avoid any contact with the sick birds.”
Scottish Government ‘aware’ of bird carcasses
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are aware of kittiwake carcasses being found in the Lunan Bay area.
“Samples have been taken for testing and we are currently awaiting the results.
“Though the risk to humans is low, we strongly advise members of the public to avoid touching any dead birds as they can carry diseases which may be harmful.
“We encourage anyone who finds a dead bird to report it to the relevant authorities using our avian influenza online reporting system or by calling the GB wild bird surveillance helpline.
“In cooperation with NatureScot and the Scottish Avian Influenza Task Force, we have enhanced our surveillance operations in order to better understand both where the virus is in Scotland and how severe it is.
“This work is informing our understanding of the disease and how best to tackle it in the future.”