Following the late winter storm on the US east coast last week and the associated wet and windy weather experienced in Bermuda, many unusual birds are being reported in Bermuda.

“Many north-bound spring migrants were pushed off-course into the Atlantic and the lucky ones found Bermuda,” said past president of the Audubon Society, Andrew Dobson. “Record numbers of Scarlet Tanagers, Summer Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Eastern Kingbirds have been counted in various parts of the Island. These brightly coloured birds are rarely seen in Bermuda in the spring, so it has been a treat to see them in their stunning breeding plumage.

The grosbeaks have been attracted to sunflower seeds on bird feeders, while the tanagers are particularly partial to mulberry and other fruit-bearing trees. It is on occasions like this that people with a variety of trees and shrubs in their garden are able to attract these bird species.

Other unusual birds arriving in the past few days have been a Garganey (a duck species from Europe), a single Canada Goose, and two Northern Mockingbirds. Members of the public are encouraged to send sightings of these birds to info[AT]audubon.bm.

Mr. Dobson told The Royal Gazette about the unusual sightings after the launch of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival which was launched at the opening of the new Pitman’s Pond Nature Reserve.

The festival is run by the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB) which is the largest regional organisation devoted to wildlife conservation.

Mr. Dobson is the current president SCSCB and a past president of the Audubon society.

“With climate change, our forests, watersheds, coastal wetlands, coral reefs and beaches are all expected to take yet another turn for the worst in ways we cannot even fully appreciate,” he said.

“The only thing we are certain of is that native species, such as the wild birds of the Caribbean, are today faced with a suite of threats greater than they have ever confronted in their history.” The festival began six years ago with the aim of increasing public awareness of the region’s rich bird life, which is now under threat.

According to BirdLife International 56 species of birds found in the Caribbean are at risk of global extinction During the festival there will be events across the Caribbean about the impact of climate change, including rising sea temperatures, bleaching of corals and stronger hurricanes.

“If we are going to be successful at conserving the region’s biodiversity, we must educate ourselves about what we can do to stop global warming,” Mr. Dobson said.

“The Festival provides an excellent opportunity to do this.” To raise awareness about this year’s theme local volunteer festival coordinators in each Caribbean country will facilitate showings of Al Gore’s Academy Award winning documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’.

The date for the showing has yet to be decided but people interested in knowing more about the festival or the showing of “An Inconvenient Truth” in Bermuda can email info[AT]audubon.bm Along with Bermuda there are 13 other Caribbean countries participating in the festival including Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and Anguilla.

For more information about the festival, which ends on May 22 people can visit www.scscb.org.