A mother killdeer is causing a kerfuffle at LeBreton Flats because she’s laid her eggs right where the main Bluesfest stage is set to go up.
The stage arrives Tuesday and organizers are hoping the eggs will hatch before then. Eggs generally take between 24 and 26 days to hatch. Baby killdeer are usually born in mid-June.
The issue is that the killdeer is a protected species. The federal Migratory Birds Convention Act governs how certain species of birds, including the killdeer, can be handled.
Festival executive director Mark Monahan tells CTV News they’ve applied for a permit to move the bird and her eggs.
“The contingency plan is hopefully to either move the eggs close-by or to remove them and incubate them with a third-party somewhere here in Ottawa,” he says. “The festival will go on.”
In the meantime, yellow caution tape surrounds the cobblestone circle where the killdeer has laid her eggs. The NCC has also hired a security guard to watch over the site.
With files from Claudia Cautillo and the Canadian Press.
Bluesfest officials say they are hoping to safely relocate the bird eggs, waiting to hear back from @environmentca on when that can happen. They say festival will go on @ctvottawa #ottnews #ottcity
— Claudia Cautillo (@ClaudiaCTV) June 25, 2018
The problem is, the eggs are right where the @ottawabluesfest main stage is supposed to be set up. Stage scheduled to arrive tomorrow, so they’re hoping eggs will hatch or they can relocate them before then. @ctvottawa #ottnews
— Claudia Cautillo (@ClaudiaCTV) June 25, 2018
The area surrounding the killdeer and her eggs has been cordoned off with yellow caution tape. The NCC has also hired a security guard to keep an eye on it. @ctvottawa @ottawabluesfest #ottnews pic.twitter.com/PGDQCI1sDq
— Claudia Cautillo (@ClaudiaCTV) June 25, 2018