Bird flu testing carried out at Forvie
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Testing for avian flu has been carried out at Forvie Nature Reserve after more than 200 dead sandwich terns and a number of dead black-headed gulls were found.
NatureScot said samples have been removed for testing for avian flu.
Some seabird species have returned to Scotland in lower numbers this breeding season following the devastating outbreak of avian flu last year, according to early monitoring.
Despite recent concerning outbreaks of the virus in England, there is cautious optimism that colonies in Scotland have so far avoided the high number of deaths observed last summer.
However, early surveillance of seabird colonies suggest that some species have returned in significantly lower numbers than in previous years, with great skuas being especially hard hit.
While counts are ongoing, initial observations from some of the main sites in Shetland suggest significant breeding population declines for great skua – for example, it is estimated that up to 90 per cent of the population on Hermaness may have been lost.
There are also concerns about unusual behaviour in terns, with fewer birds than usual returning to sites across Scotland, including NatureScot’s Isle of May and Noss National Nature Reserves (NNRs), and their return coming later than expected.
Alastair MacGugan, a NatureScot Wildlife Manager, said: “It is too soon to draw firm conclusions about the impact of last year’s terrible losses, but the low numbers of great skua and terns returning to our shores is certainly concerning and something we are keeping a very close watch on.
“The good news is that, in Scotland at least, we are not seeing the large numbers of dead birds around breeding sites that we did last year.
"This may mean that the remaining birds have gained some level of immunity to the virus.
"If so, then there is cause for optimism as populations may begin to slowly replace the losses that occurred last year.
“This is far from the end of the outbreak, however, and we are certainly not complacent.
"We may see the virus switch to other species in the future, as has happened with the gulls elsewhere in the UK."
