Hello everyone, Phyllis Caccioti spotted a Lewis’s Woodpecker at her feeder on Manitoulin Island just over a week ago, and has had it visit consistently every day since. I have arranged access through the OFO Rare Bird Ambassador program and Phyllis has agreed to viewing on two days. This could be extended in the future, but for now this is what we’ve agreed on.
***The dates are Tuesday, January 17th and Saturday, January 21st. On both of these days viewing will be allowed from 10am until 4pm. *** To avoid overwhelming the homeowner with large crowds and too many cars, birders will be staggered in every half hour. To sign up for a time slot you can private message me on Discord, or email kiahjas...@gmail.com. Phyllis and her husband didn’t want their address posted everywhere, so I’ll share it with the folks who message me to sign up. It’s within a 5 minute drive of Billing, Manitoulin Island if you want to check how far of a drive it is though. Also if you don’t see the bird during your half hour it’s ok to linger a bit longer, but if you do see it quickly please don’t linger for multiple hours. It’s important to be respectful of the homeowners property and the birds safety, so to insure situations like these run smoothly in the future please follow these rules: 1) There will be a roped off area near the side of the house approximately 30ft from the bird feeder. Please stay behind this line and don’t try to approach the bird any closer. 2) Similarly, don’t trample around the forest on the property without getting the homeowners permission. Stay on the driveway or beside the house. 3) Don’t visit the yard outside of the agreed viewing times or encourage other birds to do so without the homeowners permission. A donation box and a guest book will be placed near the roped off area and Phyllis will be giving the money to the Manitoulin nature club. Donations aren’t required to see the bird, but are encouraged as a thank you for allowing us access here. Good birding, Kiah Jasper -- 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.
