Ontbirds subscribers, There is an adult female Rufous Hummingbird coming to a set of feeders at a property in Oakville. It has been definitively identified as such.
As with the Calliope Hummingbird in Goderich three years ago, I have negotiated with the property owners to allow a limited time viewing opportunity that will hopefully allow all of those who wish to see it to get that chance. But there will be a series of rules that must be followed by ALL who wish to come and see this bird. The bird is coming to the home of my cherished long-time friends Dr. Ebrahim Patel and Karalee Patel and they have graciously agreed to host birders to visit to see the Rufous Hummingbird for a set period of time. As a family physician who had a long and distinguished career spanning across four decades in providing health care to a large roster of Halton Region families, Dr. Patel is concerned with having good precautions in place to prevent the potential for the transmission of Covid-19 for this event. Accordingly, the following are absolute requirements to attend this event; 1. You must not be feeling unwell, with cough, fever, muscle aches, or any potential symptoms that could be related to a Covid-19 infection. If you are feeling sick, do not consider attending. 2. All those who wish to access the Patel's property must have had at least two Covid-19 vaccine injections and have the ability to provide proof of that, if requested, just as you would have to do in any Halton Region dining establishment. Unvaccinated birders are simply not welcome to attend. Please wait for the next Rufous Hummingbird. 3. At all times during your visit, you must be properly wearing a mask for the protection of yourself and others. This is non-negotiable. Anyone seen not wearing a mask will be promptly asked to leave the property. 4. Just as would be required in any Halton Region dining establishment, all visitors must register their name, arrival time/date, and a contact telephone number in the event of the need for contact tracing. A guest book will be provided to record this information. Hand sanitizer will be provided here as well. Those not willing to satisfy this requirement should not even consider attending. In addition, there are several other practical rules which must be adhered to: 1. No tripods are allowed on the Patel's property. In order to give attendees any hope for adequate social distancing, scopes or cameras mounted on tripods are not welcome at this viewing opportunity. Cameras and monopods are welcome. 2. In order to facilitate the largest number of observers, photographers will not be permitted to spend more than an hour at the site on any given day. Our aim is to prioritize as many people seeing the bird as is possible over those people hoping to obtain the perfect photo. 3. In order to prevent the hummingbird from reducing its visitation frequency, no flash photography at all will be permitted. Those attempting any flash photography will be asked to leave the property. Leave flash heads at home and do not employ built-in flashes. 4. No one should park on the street where the Patels live, so as not to aggravate the neighbours. Failure to follow this rule may result in the immediate cessation of any more public viewing time, spoiling the opportunity for others. Everyone (no exceptions) is being asked to park in the parking areas of nearby Coronation Park and walk in the 200+ metres to their home, or wherever you legally park when you visit the adjacent Sedgewick Forest. 5. The viewing area allowed will be behind a roped-off area east of the extensive deck and the seed feeders. No one is permitted to cross the rope, period! For those who are very grateful for the viewing opportunity, the Patels have had an idea to make the event a win-win-win situation. They will be having a voluntary donation box available and all proceeds will be donated to Birds Canada to fund conservation science that serves to protect our birds. To those who are willing to abide by the rules, you are welcome to visit during the following times: November 20 - 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. November 21 - 27 - 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please do not attempt to visit outside of these hours. If the bird persists into December, consideration will be given to another observation period for winter-listers. If you have made it this far, and agree to abide by all of the stated rules, here are the location details: The Patels live at 129 Woodhaven Park Drive in Oakville and their property backs onto the Sedgewick Forest. The bird is unlikely to be seen without entrance to their yard. When you arrive at the house, enter from the gate on the north side of the house and proceed to the backyard, sign the guest book and follow outside the roped-off area to the viewing space at the back of the yard. Do not access the back deck, which is off-limits. I will be there tomorrow, and after 21 months of the pandemic, I look forward to seeing several birding friends tomorrow. Glenn Coady Whitby, Ontario -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Ontbirds is reserved for sightings of provincially rare birds. To post a message on Ontbirds, send an email to: birdalert@ontbirds.ca. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Ontbirds Moderators by email at birdal...@ofo.ca. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
