Bonin Petrel

The first night on the island we arrived about 10 PM. While the sport fishing and scuba diving fanatics scurried to find their rooms, the birders stood in awe on the sidewalk outside listening to the whistling and clacking of the Laysan Albatross and watching the Bonin Petrels fly overhead. There are many Bonin Petrels and you will see them every night.. Photographing them is another issue because you will only see them at night and only flying about. The best opportunity to photograph them came on the night of our departure. As we waited at the hangar for the arrival of the weekly Aloha Airlines flight to take us back to Honolulu, Bonin Petrels were flying around the rafters. Unfortunately my lenses were packed away for the flight.

We also saw Wedge-tailed Shearwater one night sitting outside its burrow. More importantly we heard 4 of them moaning one day while we were standing over the ruins of Battery D. It seems there are 4 magazines associated with each underground battery and a shearwater nesting in each. And oh the moan. Unforgettable. I looked hard, but never saw a Wedge-tailed Shearwater flying in the daytime on Midway. I did see them on Maui.

Bonin Petrel Chick in Burrow Bonin Petrels nest in burrows all over the island. For the most part you will not see the chicks because they remain out of sight. The first two days we were on the island there was a heavy downpour that flooded many of the burrows. This chick was forced out and we found it huddled outside the burrow. Our leader replaced it in the entrance way hoping to protect it. The flooding was devastating to the Bonin Petrels. Some 600 were found dead, but many more perished in the burrows.
This adult Bonin Petrel was found on the sidewalk outside one of the building at night. Attracted by lights the petrels are stunned when they fly into windows. This one may have recovered. Sorry this picture is out of focus, but I had to use a flash and did not want to try again.