Shocking pictures show how avian flu has wiped through the world's largest northern gannet colony. Bass Rock, an island off the coast of North Berwick, is home to more than 150,000 breeding gannets each year.
But stark images between September 2020 and June 2022 show the drastic change in the numbers nesting and caring for their young. The Scottish Seabird Centre suspended all of its landing trips to Bass Rock to avoid causing disturbance to the colony and the minimise risks of spreading the disease.
Experts said the full extent of the flu is not yet known. Susan Davies, CEO of the Scottish Seabird Centre said: "These birds are from the world's largest northern gannet colony on the Bass Rock in East Lothian which is widely recognised as an amazing wildlife spectacle.
