Bermuda?s indigenous bird the Cahow has been featured in America?s most high-profile newspaper over its recovery since Hurricane Fabian.

Rick Weiss, a staff writer at the Washington Post, spoke to Bermuda?s conservation officer Jeremy Madeiros about the battle to save a number of Cahow nests around the Island that were totally washed away in the storm ten weeks? ago.

The birds have relied for years on concrete nests, known as condos, built for them by Government because the craggy inlets around the Island are too rocky for the birds to dig natural burrows.

However, many of the condos were washed away when Hurricane Fabian rampaged across the Island on September 5, forcing Mr. Madeiros and others to begin a salvage mission prior to the bird?s return to the Island for the mating season this autumn.reported in September how the nests on Nonsuch Island, and other such places, had been destroyed and both Mr. Madeiros and former conservation officer David Wingate were aiming to rebuild many of them within a six-week period.

They said people were working on a rota to help repair the condos, but felt confident the nests would materialise and be in better shape than before.

And last week, the Cahows returned for the winter season to begin their nesting and mating season.

Mr. Madeiros was reported as saying in the Washington Post on Monday: ?It?s very possible we would have lost the species. Their backs were to the ocean, so to speak.?

Bermuda?s Cahow programme started 40 years ago with 18 birds and is now up to 70 pairs nesting on the Island.