Freak weather kills thousands of seabirds

THE death of hundreds of seabirds washed up on the coast of Scotland has been blamed by bird experts on the recent freak weather that has battered Britain.

Huge numbers of guillemots have been found dead from John O’Groats to the Western Isles, said the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

The RSPB believes the phenomenon, known as a seabird wreck, was probably caused by the severe storms and torrential rain over the last month. The society estimates that thousands of guillemots have died, mostly by drowning, but is baffled as to why no other species of auk, such as puffins, has been affected.

The deaths follow the worst breeding season on record for seabirds in Scotland, which - like the recent extreme weather - has been blamed on climate change.

The RSPB said the birds were already starving and had been further weakened by the recent gales and also by sea parasites.

Adam Harper, of RSPB Scotland, said: "This is a cruel double blow for the seabirds. After a disastrous breeding season, they have now been hit hard again.

"Hundreds of emaciated birds are coming ashore along the north-west coast, with reports from John O’Groats round to the Hebrides.

"We usually get seabird wrecks in winter, but not this early and not on this scale.

"It’s reasonable to assume that the recent storms are the cause."