Wildlife Photography Hides in Bermuda

Castle Harbour

Nonsuch Island is the site of one of conservation biology's most celebrated recoveries — the return from functional extinction of the Bermuda Petrel, or Cahow, a seabird so rarely seen between 1620 and its rediscovery in 1951 that it was presumed completely extinct for three centuries. Today, after decades of intensive management by David Wingate and his successors, around 150 breeding pairs nest in artificial burrows on Nonsuch and adjacent islets, making this one of the world's rarest seabirds with an extremely small wild population. The Bermuda Audubon Society organises limited twilight boat excursions to Castle Harbour during the January–May breeding season, when birds return from their Atlantic foraging grounds to relieve incubating partners. As the light fails, Cahows are heard calling before they are seen — an eerie, wailing contact call that early sailors interpreted as the cries of devils, giving rise to the legend of the Isle of Devils in Bermuda's earliest accounts. Birds then descend steeply and run across the water to their burrow entrances, often passing within metres of the observation boat. Photography requires high-ISO capacity and fast lenses; moonless nights near new moon give the best encounter rates. Maximum group size is eight, pre-booking well in advance is essential, and trips are weather-dependent.

Warwick Parish

Bermuda occupies a uniquely productive position in the western North Atlantic, sitting directly below the main southbound migration corridor used by billions of North American passerines and shorebirds. In April and May, when northbound migrants ride Atlantic tailwinds toward their Canadian breeding grounds, exhausted warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, and sparrows drop into Bermuda's small patches of woodland in remarkable concentrations. The island's ponds — particularly Warwick Pond and Pembroke Marsh — attract migrating shorebirds including species rarely seen in such proximity as Hudsonian Godwit, American Golden Plover, and Baird's Sandpiper. For wildlife photographers, these concentrations present extraordinary opportunities: birds freshly arrived from an ocean crossing are tame and approachable as they refuel, often feeding within two or three metres of patient observers. Up to 35 warbler species have been recorded in a single spring day. The Bermuda Audubon Society offers guided migration walks during peak passage, with expert interpretation of species identification and migration ecology. Autumn (September–October) brings its own spectacle: thousands of Blackpoll Warblers and American Redstarts staging before their non-stop Atlantic crossing to South America.

Smith's Parish

Spittal Pond Nature Reserve — Bermuda's largest protected natural area at 24 hectares — provides outstanding photography of White-tailed Tropicbirds throughout spring and early summer. These elegant seabirds, with their impossibly long white tail streamers and brilliant snow-white plumage, nest in cliff crevices and rocky ledges along the southern coastline, and can be approached remarkably closely as they investigate potential nest sites or engage in spectacular aerial courtship displays above the rocky shore. Bermuda holds the largest White-tailed Tropicbird population in the North Atlantic; pairs display vigorously from March onwards, flying in synchronised spirals with their tail streamers fluttering in the breeze — one of the Caribbean's most photogenic seabird spectacles. The pond itself attracts migrating shorebirds and wading birds throughout spring, including Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, and occasional Ruff. The reserve's woodland edge hosts impressive warbler diversity during April–May migration: up to 35 warbler species have been recorded passing through Bermuda in a single spring, with the island lying directly beneath the main Atlantic migration corridor. Self-guided at all times; guided walks available through Bermuda Audubon Society by appointment.