devastate Bermuda's cahow population were allayed when 45 pairs returned to the Island.

And the only thing stopping it from being a very good year for the Pterdroma Cahow was the number of chicks that hatched.

Only 21 chicks successfully fledged two less than last year and seven down on the best year, 1989.

Five chicks died, including one that became the victim of a white-tailed tropicbird, the first since 1961.

Also there was excitement over rare sightings of cahows at sea by a group of Americans on birding trips off Cape Hatteras and Charleston.

The men who spotted the birds were Mr. Ned Brinkley, Mr. Todd Hass and Mr.

Brian Patterson. They will speak at the Botanical Gardens tonight during a lecture organised by the Audobon Society.

Dr. David Wingate, who watches over the cahow population at Nonsuch Island, explained cahows breed only in Bermuda.

He said that sightings at sea are rare but cahows are known to stay close to upwellings and tend to move in the Gulf Stream.

Dr. Wingate said: "I was a bit afraid about Hurricane Emily which hit the North Carolina coast. It went more or less right through their feeding range, but it appears to have had no effects.

"Although a disappointing season, there has been a steady increase in pairs on the western islands where all the artificial burrows were used.'' Speaking about tonight's lecture, Dr. Wingate said it was a surprise to see a cahow at sea because there are only around 200 of the birds in an area that can range to half a million square miles.

The lecture begins at 7.30 p.m.