In the fifth article on Bermuda’s birds, as part of this year’s Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, organised by the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, Andrew Dobson, author of “A Birdwatching Guide to Bermuda”, describes the incredible migration of birds passing Bermuda at this time of the year. Andrew is also the President of the SCSCB.

One of the most spectacular annual bird movements occurs through Bermuda waters in May and June. However, the phenomenon is one of Bermuda’s least known natural history events, witnessed only by local fishermen, keen ornithologists and a few ocean-going sailors. Thousands and thousands of pelagic birds (those species that spend most of the year out on the open ocean) migrate northwards at this time of the year. Given the right weather conditions and a good pair of binoculars (better still a telescope) - they can be viewed from South Shore.

Don’t expect to see these birds from the cliff tops. It is much better to be only about 10 feet above sea level so that you can see the birds making their arcing flights over the ocean.

East or southeasterly winds push these birds closer to the shore, so if you wish to see them, find a comfortable spot such as Watch Hill Park, Spittal Pond or Devonshire Bay and be ready for action!

The further east you are tends to be better as the birds approach Bermuda from the south and become concentrated at the eastern end of the island before heading north again.

Four species of shearwater can be seen: Greater, Cory’s, Sooty and Manx. With practice it is possible to distinguish between these bird species as they shear with stiff wings over the tops of waves beyond the reef line.

In a single day I have counted a thousand shearwaters, the vast majority being Greater Shearwaters. Manx Shearwaters can be seen passing in good numbers from as early as mid-February and peaking in late February and March. Apart from one or two early Cory’s Shearwaters, the main shearwater passage is in May and June. ‘Sooties’ are nearly always the closest species to shore, sometimes just inside the reef line.

Interestingly enough, the Manx and Cory’s are heading northeast to breed on the northwest Atlantic coast and Mediterranean region respectively (with a few Manx breeding in New England and Newfoundland). The Greater and Sooty Shearwaters have already bred on islands in the South Atlantic.

During calm weather in May and June, it is possible to find Greater Shearwaters sitting on the ocean due to lack of wind.

Often in desperate need of food, they may well become hooked on fishhooks as they attempt to take bail and chum. Some fishermen, aware of their plight, will feed then.

Unfortunately, a few frustrated fishermen resort to clubbing these birds to rid them of the nuisance and in some years our beaches have been littered with carcasses.

Equally worrying is the proposed long-lining in Bermuda waters.

When long-lining, fishing boats set thousands of baited hooks on a fishing line to catch fish, seabirds scavenging behind these boats try to eat the bait from the hooks as they are set behind the boat.

Some birds swallow the hooks and are dragged underwater and drown. World-wide, more than 300,000 seabirds are killed in this way each year. 26 species of seabird, including 17 species of albatrosses, are in danger of extinction because of the deaths caused by long-lining. In Bermuda, the long-lining ought to be done with independent observers on board the fishing vessel, but this has not been done so far.

Any fishing that is carried out should be done with mandatory measures to reduce the potentially lethal effects on our seabirds. Many cheap and readily implemented solutions have been, and are being developed.

Employing these will be of benefit to the fishermen themselves because the more bait eaten by birds, the smaller the catch of fish.

Towing bird-scaring (or tori) lines behind the vessel will help. These have plastic streamers tied to them that flap in the wind and scare birds away from the baited fishing line.

Using an underwater setting tube sets the fishing line underwater out of reach of the birds.

Tying enough weights to the fishing line will ensure it sinks more quickly out of reach of the birds.

Using thawed (not frozen) bait as it sinks more quickly and dying the bait blue (this puts birds off eating it). Setting lines at night reduces the risk of bird ensnarement as most shearwaters feed by day.

Also part of the pelagic migration, but in smaller numbers, are three species of Jaeger: Long-tailed, Parasitic and Pomarine, and the South Polar and Great Skuas.

These seabirds harass other seabirds, including our own Longtails, to disgorge their food. They also chase the Arctic Tern, a real long-distance migrant.

It is a thrill to see them migrating past Bermuda and marvel at their 10,000 mile journey from latitudes of the Antarctic to those of the Arctic!

There are two species of Storm-Petrels that can be seen in Bermuda’s waters during the spring and summer. Your best chance of seeing Wilson’s Storm-Petrel and Leach’s Storm-Petrel is to take a boat trip onto the open ocean.

These birds are rarely seen less than about four miles from shore. The birds are attracted to ‘chumming’ with fish oil.

Areas to the east, south and southwest of Bermuda are best, especially if you could join one of the regular whale-watching trips in the spring.

The Wilson’s Storm-Petrel is thought to be one of the most common birds in the world, with a total population of many millions, yet very few people have seen them because they spend their life at sea.

They are tiny birds and fly erratically, often appearing to patter their feet on the surface of the water while flying.

The name “petrel” is derived from “Peter”, a reference to a Biblical account of St. Peter walking on the water. The Wilson’s Storm-Petrel breeds on coasts the far southern oceans, whilst the Leach’s Storm-Petrel breeds on islands of the Northern Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.