A bird's nest that had threatened to delay construction of Ottawa Bluesfest's main stage is on the move after festival organizers got permission from the federal environment ministry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada issued the permit to the festival on Tuesday under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act, allowing the relocation of the nest to a "nearby suitable habitat."
The killdeer's nest — and its four eggs — were first spotted last Friday during initial setup.
Crews blocked off the area surrounding the nest with caution tape while the National Capital Commission, which owns the festival grounds, hired a security guard to watch over the nest around the clock.
Population in decline
The killdeer is not a species at risk, the federal ministry said in a statement Tuesday, though their population in Canada has declined over the last 40 years.
"The relocation will allow the nest to remain and eggs to hatch in the natural environment. In the event of nest abandonment, eggs will be transported to a rehabilitation facility to provide the best probability for survival," said Amélie Desmarais, a spokesperson for the ministry, in an emailed statement.
The festival arranged for someone licensed to handle migratory birds —Monika Melichar with the Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary in Minden, Ont. — to come Tuesday evening and move the nest, Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan said.
The bird's nest is being moved slowly, a metre at a time, to see if the bird follows it to its new location. The plan is to move the bird to a spot about 45 metres away.
Construction of the stage was scheduled to begin Tuesday. Monahan said if the bird is successfully moved Tuesday work can resume Wednesday and the festival should get back on schedule.
The 11-day music festival, which attracts more than 300,000 people each year, is set to begin July 5.