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A Shag sunning its self

Shag flying over sea. Taken at Mull of Galloway while I was on holiday to Scotland in August 2011.

Hello! Welcome to the new Mull of Galloway blog. This is my first full season as Community Liaison Officer at the Mull. I've been here for two whole months already, but what with keeping tabs on seabirds, swotting up on wild flowers, and the general fun of getting into the swing of a new job, I haven't...

As I write this, my lovely colleague Dr Ellie Owen is on a chilly, windy island off the west coast of Scotland, probably half way down a cliff suspended on a rope. Terrifying! She has been there since April, and will pretty much stay there, separated from family and friends apart from the occasional...

I had a work appointment in Old Portsmouth this morning, and finding myself uncharacteristically early with a bit of time to kill, I settled down on a bench on the ramparts overlooking the harbour and the basin (a kind of canal/moat type thing which is part of the old defences). It was a beautiful...

Shag stretching its wings - Farne Islands - July 2009

This slightly sinister shag was stretching its wings on the Farne Islands - July 2009

One of the few remaining breeding shags that were still on the farnes.

I think this could be a juvenile shag looking at the pale feet and slender bill...cormorant juveniles usually have black feet according to the BWP and have much heavier bills.

A change from Elmley today. As part of the ongoing monitoring of important bird populations in the Medway & Swale estuaries, the RSPB carries out bird counts on the Medway that go towards the British Trust for Ornithology's We tland B ird S urvey (WeBS). In order to cover the many off-shore islands...

Caught this shag popping up with his breakfast back at Easter on the harbour off the point....

Hi, it's an adult shag- note the subtle differences- slimmer neck, different wing angles when drying out, slimmer bill and not so big-headed- :) Shags often look pot bellied- esp. in flight whereas Cormorants look deep chested. :) S

Hi All, a few months back there was numerous threads about where the best places to see Puffins and other Sea Bird colonies are in the UK! I remember discussing with certain members about my experiences at the Farne Islands over the years. I recall stating that I must return as it had been several...

Hi, just got back from taking some people birding- had a great time and am uploading 500 photos from a week on Lesvos. The birds are all shags- :) The bills are too slender for cormorants. S

I always marvel at this time of the year when the plumage of shags has a special green sheen to it. They are lovely birds in full mating plumage.

Seabirds, and other marine wildlife species, have been in the news this week. Firstly albatrosses came under the spotlight thanks to top level talks on tuna fishing and its impact on seabirds . Scientists gathered in Brazil on Monday to agree fishing quotas in the Atlantic. RSPB marine conservationist...

On a trip to the Farne Islands to hopefully see the puffins, it was amazing to see nesting shags just inches away and obviously untroubled by our presence - what a fantastic day!

Having only ever seen one solitary puffin from far away, we went on a boat trip to the Farne Islands this summer - amazing!! You couldn't move for puffins - there were hundreds, along with many terns, shags and guillemots. What a spectacle!