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Roosting birds cause early evening power cut in Airth village

Birds roosting on electricity cables leading into a Falkirk village have been causing nightly power cuts for residents.

The villagers of Airth near Falkirk could not work out why their electricity went off briefly in the early evening.

After they called in engineers from SP Energy Networks it was discovered that thousands of starlings were unsettling the cables as they twisted, turned and swooped during their traditional winter murmurations.

17 December 2020

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Arthritic vulture reunited with partner after jab

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A screen grab from a camera inside an owl nesting box. It shows a mother owl and her four chicks. The mother owl and one of the chicks both have small rodents in their beaks.

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Glasgow man frees trapped bird from street light

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Fluffy white flamingo chick in cupped hands

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The inside of the Local Stop 24 Bangor newsagent store, with the till on the left hand side and a stack of newspapers in the centre. The seagull is in front of the newspapers with a newspaper in its beak.

Watch as bird bandit pinches paper from newsagent

A ducking born being held in a hand with a white glove

Rare ducklings are 'ambassadors of their species'

Female duck and chicks

Duckling family march to safety at Hardwick Hall

Science & Environment

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Bitterns attract wildlife tourists to Somerset

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Three emu chicks hatch at Borders bird centre

Seagull Boy and Olly Alexander

'Seagull Boy' teaches Olly Alexander how to do impression

A bittern in flight

Appeal to listen out for 'bittern boom'

A herring gull

What is happening to Wales' seagull numbers?

Peregrine falcon in its nest box on at Cromer parish church looking down at its egg

Church tower peregrine lays first egg of the year

Kingfisher bird perched on tree

Kingfishers begin nesting early at wetland centre

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A Waxwing bird perched on a tree branch

How do you spot a waxwing?

BBC Scotland weather presenter Christopher Blanchett in front of a weather map of Scotland showing snow warnings.

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Storm Bert looks set to bring more heavy snowfall across the Scotland over the weekend.

BBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell lying on the ground with a blue beanie hat and wrapped in a silver blanket

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Weather presenter Christopher Blanchett standing in front of a large-scale photograph of wintry conditions

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SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn

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Veterans during Edinburgh's Armistice Day event. One of them is saluting while the other have heads bowed while holding flags downward.

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Three rescuers wearing life jackets and hard hats work to free a humpback whale in a sea loch

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Sandy Duthie from Aberdeenshire is now the lighthouse keeper on Gabo Island, in Victoria

The Scot in charge of an Australian lighthouse

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Police stand next to a blue trawler vessel moored in a harbour

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A 38-year-old man was arrested and two Ghanaian men were removed from the vessel as part of the operation.

Firework explodes on the top or a building behind a traffic island sending red and yellow sparks showering metres in all directions.

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Fire crews have been attacked as fireworks were set off on streets across Scotland on Bonfire Night.

Gloved hand picking up one of five Lewis chessmen. Two are facing the camera and three away from the camera.

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Ten of the intricately-carved pieces have been redisplayed in a case which allows visitors to see their backs for the first time.

The Jacobite Express steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands

Repairing Scotland's historic 'Harry Potter' bridge

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Waves can be seen overtopping the barrier at Troon. The sky is grey and sea mist is being blown high by the wind.

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Storm Ashley could cause gusts of up to 70-80 mph (113-129km/h) in some areas of Scotland.

Gillian Smart wears a red and black dress. She presents the weather in front of a green screen which forecasts high winds across Scotland.

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Gillian Smart has the latest weather forecast, as a yellow warning for high winds gusting up to 60 mph (97km/h) is in force across the whole of Scotland.

North Macedonian soldiers carrying Alex Salmond's coffin draped in a Saltire towards a private jet

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, wears a blue suit and glasses, as he stands in the House of Commons. Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves sit either side of him on the benches.

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Chris McEleny of the Alba Party speaks to the BBC via Zoom from Zagreb in Croatia

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Calum MacColl sung the Gaelic song that won him a gold medal at the Royal National Mòd in 2021.

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Sally Magnusson hears how testing for early symptoms of Alzheimer's could help find a cure for the condition.