OTTAWA (CelebrityAccess) — Organizers for the Ottawa Bluesfest over the weekend reported that after successfully relocating a bird’s nest, three of the four eggs in the nest have successfully hatched.
The birds, a mated pair of Killdeer with a brood of eggs in their nest, brought the festival’s setup to a halt last week after their nest was discovered in the location where the festival’s main stage was to be built.
Construction on the main stage was halted while festival organizers sought a permit from Canadian environment regulators to relocate the birds. The move was then effected with the help of Monica Melichar, an avian expert.
While Killdeer are not endangered, they are considered to be an at-risk species.
The relocation allowed the festival to proceed with the setup, with the birds apparently unphased by the move or the construction underway in the vicinity and eventually, apparently, becoming acclimated to the festival crew.
“This is a great ending to what has been an amazing journey this week,” said Bluesfest boss Mark Monahan. “We’d like to recognize the efforts of Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary’s Monica Melichar and NCC biologists Camille Tremblay and Alex Stone. I also applaud the efforts of officials at the National Capital Commission and Environment and Climate Change Canada—we could not have gotten through this without them. This has made all our efforts worthwhile, and now . . . the Show must go on!”
The RBC Bluesfest will this year take place from July 5 – 15 at Ottawa’s LeBreton Park.
