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Northern Gannet colony, Bass Rock
18837
28
Firth of Forth - Bass Rock
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) colony on Bass Rock, taken by Rebecca Dickson.
15 June 2024
Northern Gannet colony, Bass Rock
18836
28
Firth of Forth - Bass Rock
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) colony at Bass Rock, taken by Rebecca Dickson.
15 June 2024
Northern Gannets preening, Bass Rock
18835
28
Firth of Forth - Bass Rock
A pair of Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) preening eachother, taken by Rebecca Dickson.
15 June 2024
Northern Gannet staring, Bass Rock
18834
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Firth of Forth - Bass Rock
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus), taken by Rebecca Dickson.
15 June 2024
Northern Gannet pairs, Bass Rock
18833
28
Firth of Forth - Bass Rock
Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus), taken by Rebecca Dickson. The pair in the background can be observed strengthening their bond by rubbing their beaks together.
15 June 2024
Northern Gannet, Bass Rock
18832
28
Firth of Forth - Bass Rock
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus), taken by Rebecca Dickson.
15 June 2024
Northern Gannet with stick, Bass Rock
18830
28
Firth of Forth - Bass Rock
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus), taken by Rebecca Dickson.
15 June 2024
Northern Gannet in flight with stock, Bass Rock
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28
Firth of Forth - Bass Rock
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus), taken by Rebecca Dickson. This adult is carrying a stick and will take it back to its nest and its partner.
15 June 2024
Northern Gannet taking off, Bass Rock
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28
Firth of Forth - Bass Rock
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) taking off from the water, taken by Rebecca Dickson. This individual has a black iris which is an indicator that it survived Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
15 June 2024
Northern Gannet Black Iris, Bass Rock
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Firth of Forth - Bass Rock
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) showing a mottled black iris, taken by Rebecca Dickson. Gannets typically have bright pale blue irises however this individual clearly has not. There have been recent studies carried out on Bass Rock from 2022 after major outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) where birds started appearing with black irises that ranged between mottled and completely black. Blood sampling results confirmed that they had HPAI antibodies which proved they had survived the virus. Dr Jude Lane, RSPB Conservation Scientist and lead author of the study, explained: "This has been a fascinating development and the discovery may prove a useful non-invasive diagnostic tool. The next steps are to understand its efficacy, if it applies to any other species and whether there are any detrimental impacts to the birds' vision. Ophthalmology exams will also be needed to determine what is causing the black colouration."
