Preparations for this year’s Ottawa Bluesfest are at least 12 hours behind schedule due to an unlikely culprit. The major Canadian music festival could not start setting up because a killdeer bird had decided to build her nest at the site of the main stage.
The bird, who has four eggs, could not be moved without permission from the Canadian federal government. Permission was finally granted to the festival organizers on condition that they hire an expert to move the bird and her nest.
The eggs are going to be moved little by little until they reach a well-protected place that will eventually be situated behind the main stage area, where the artists are housed. Preparations have been made to collect and incubate the eggs should the mother abandon them. Currently, the little bird and her eggs are being protected by guards 24 hours a day, as well as a barrier of security tape.
The festival attracts thousands of music-lovers from around North America every year. The line-up this year includes the Dave Matthews Band, Beck, and Canadian rocker Bryan Adams. While killdeers aren’t endangered, they are protected in both Canada and the United States.
