As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Thursday, 29 November 2018

Birders flocking to Goderich yard for look at ultra-rare hummingbird



Updated: November 22, 2018
GODERICH — As many as 100 bird enthusiasts from across North America are crowding into a backyard here this week to get a glimpse of a rare hummingbird that’s never before been seen in Ontario.
The tiny Calliope hummingbird is home to the coastal areas of Oregon and California — but one has made Linda Johnston’s backyard its temporary home, and its presence has created a stir among the passionate subculture of birders.
They have been flocking to the Goderich woman’s property since word of the Calliope’s arrival in Huron County started spreading — the crowd becoming so large that Johnston has permitted access to her backyard, but only from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and only until Nov. 25.
What brought the tiny bird to Goderich remains a mystery, but the Calliope is feeding, roosting and spending all of its time in a small area of Johnston’s backyard that includes a feeder.
When it arrived, Johnston told a friend who is a birdwatcher and photographer. Photos of the tiny bird were put on Facebook along with a plea that it be identified. The Calliope was eventually identified, but by that time social media was buzzing over its Ontario visit.

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