Weather to blame for bird deaths.

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

Huge numbers of guillemots have been found beached from John O'Groats to the Western Isles, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The RSPB believes the phenomenon, known as a seabird wreck, was probably caused by the severe storms and torrential rain over the last month.

It estimates that thousands of guillemots have died, mostly by drowning, but is baffled as to why no other species of auk has been affected.

The deaths follow the worst breeding season on record for seabirds in Scotland. The RSPB said the birds were already starving due to lack of food and had been further weakened by the recent gales and also by sea parasites.