NeilyWorld      Birding Ottawa - Conventions

         All distances are given using the metric system of measure. This is the standard in Canada and all road signs give "mileage" in kilometres. Since an Act of Congress in 1866 declared the metric system to be lawful throughout the United States, the author can only be sympathic toward Americans, whose various governments since have tossed aside the opportunity to join the rest of the world. This sympathy is conveyed in the form of a conversion chart to be found on the right of this page.

         Place names in Quebec are those commonly used on maps, thus often are French, despite the English names often being still widely used in speech. Where English names are often used by local birders these are included in brackets after the French on heading titles.

         Directions to sites are specific and assume driving. The author realizes many people do not have vehicles to drive, but, as many of the areas described are outside bus range, driving is assumed. The directions will however work equally well on bicycle or on foot. Since each page can be accessed individually, instructions come in three paragraphs. The first tells how to reach the site independently from a major highway, such as 417 or 416 in Ontario or 50 or 148 in Quebec. The second assumes you are following the loop or linear route and gives directions accordingly. And the thrid, at the end of the site description, gives the directions to the next site along the loop or linear route under discussion. With constant changes brought about by urban expansion, these instructions can and probably will change. If you find errors in the directions, please let me know at larry.neily@rogers.com. I will try to make updates as soon as I confirm any new information.

         Each site having its own page is given a boldface heading, followed by a line indicating the relative quality of the site by season. The format of this line is as follows:

                          Spring: ****  Summer: ****  Fall: ****  Winter: ****

         Four stars mean the site is an excellent spot in that season. Very few sites receive this rating. If your time in Ottawa is limited, don't miss these areas. Three stars indicate very good birding spots during the season thus marked. Two stars shows average birding. One star sites should be visited for variety and completeness only, as the birding during seasons so marked is below average to poor. But you neeeeever know.

         Regarding maps, north is at the top of the map unless otherwise specified.

         This website is best viewed using a 1280 by 1024 display resolution. Though a bit crowded on some pages, it will still be fine at 1024 by 768. It can, of course, be viewed at lower resolutions, but the display will not be easy to read or pleasing to the eye in many cases.