Hundreds of dead birds which have washed onto shore have been removed from two beaches in Aberdeenshire.
The local authority confirmed another 100 carcasses were found on Stonehaven beach on Tuesday - taking the total over the past two days up to 430 from the location alone.
Around 40 miles north of there, a total of 126 birds have been recovered from Cruden Bay Beach.
A council spokesperson assured the authority was "closely monitoring" the deaths but warned residents to expect more carcasses to be washed ashore "with each tide".
While the cause of death is yet to be confirmed, NatureScot confirmed it is "looking increasingly likely" that the deaths on the east coast of Scotland may be due to an outbreak of avian influenza.
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It comes as restrictions were put in place around Inchdrewer Farm near Banff on Sunday after the disease was confirmed within the poultry flock.
A movement protection zone came into place at 8.50pm on July 9 to prevent the spread of avian flu.
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesperson said: “The council has finite resources, but we will look to remove large concentrations of birds from popular areas of highest footfall.
"People should be aware, however, that there will inevitably be more birds washed ashore with each tide so beaches may not be cleared entirely.
“We work closely with APHA whose general advice is to leave dead or sick birds in situ where natural processes will result in the breakdown of the carcasses.
"The risk of catching avian influenza from dead or dying birds is extremely low, however, due to other diseases such as salmonella which wild birds can carry, the advice is to leave the birds in-situ.
“Keep pets and children away from any dead or sick birds and don't touch wild bird feathers or surfaces contaminated with droppings.”
Residents can report where there are more than 10 dead birds in an area via the council’s online form.
The disease saw tens of thousands of wild birds die in the UK last year, prompting concern among conservationists.
Bass Rock, which is the largest gannet colony in the world, was at the centre of a detailed study to understand the impact of the virus – and crucially proved that the seabird can recover from infection.
The striking pale-blue eyes of some northern gannets became stark black in the globally-significant colony.
A study, conducted by the RSPB, has revealed that the discolouration of the iris is linked to previous infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1.
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