ORNITHOLOGISTS have celebrated the 30th anniversary of ‘bird city’ at Fowlsheugh nature reserve on the Mearns coast south of Stonehaven.

The reserve, which runs 11/2 miles north from Crawton, was bought in 1976 with funds raised by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds junior members.

The cliffs are packed with up to 130,000 nesting birds in the spring and summer.

MSP Mike Rumbles, who joined enthusiasts at the site to mark the occasion, said, “The RSPB has done a fantastic job with Fowlsheugh and I would urge local people to visit and support the reserve as it is wonderful to have such an important resource so close and accessible for people here in the north-east.”

Bird species include guillemots, razorbills, puffins fulmars, herring gulls, shags and kittiwakes best seen from the sea and boat trips from Stonehaven regularly visit the cliffs.