A tiny bird that brought a giant circus to a Goderich woman’s backyard has flown the coop.

The first calliope hummingbird to ever be seen in Ontario arrived in Linda Johnston’s backyard on October 18th.

“Gem” as he became affectionately known - a tiny juvenile male hummingbird - was lost.

That type of hummingbird is usually found in B.C. and the western United States, but somehow the tiny bird ended up in Goderich.

Word got out about the birding discovery and birdwatchers from across North America converged on Johnston’s home for a glimpse.

Over a thousand people came through Johnson’s Goderich backyard during a week of public viewing.

But the show is over now, “Gem” left Goderich for some southern comfort on Friday, Nov. 30th.

Johnston says she’ll always remember the time North American birders politely took over her backyard.