RSPB - Early Reports Show Full-On Reproductive Failure For UK Seabirds Across Species, Islands - BBC

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The poor breeding of Scotland's seabirds is giving cause for "serious concern", according to RSPB Scotland.

Early reports from coastal reserves indicate continuing problems for the internationally important populations of guillemots, kittiwakes and others. Nests have been abandoned, with cliffs which "should be teeming" now empty. RSPB Scotland has called on the Scottish Government to ensure that it puts the environment at the heart of new legislation.

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Colonies on the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland - together said to be Scotland's most important "seabird cities" - have been hit particularly hard. Many guillemots and razorbills appeared to have given up any attempt to breed at RSPB's Sumburgh Head reserve on Shetland, with eggs left abandoned on the cliffs as parent birds spent more time at sea in a search for food. Kittiwakes also had serious problems.

RSPB Scotland said that on the Aberdeenshire coast, at Fowlsheugh, the picture was more encouraging, with razorbills, guillemots and kittiwakes appearing to be nesting successfully, although counts were still down on historic numbers.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/7501732.stm

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1. .

[pscot]

2. For some reason, this one hit me hard.

I'm starting to understand how Gerry Cooney must have felt, getting his brains beat out, fight after fight.