NeilyWorld  Birding Ottawa - Southeast - Mer Bleue / French Hill Loop


REGIMBALD and O'TOOLE ROADS

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

        Independent Directions to this Site: From Highway 417 (The Queensway) take exit 113, bear left to get onto Regional Road 174 or old Highway 17. Proceed 13.6 km northeast on 174 to Trim Road (Regional 57). Turn right or SSE onto Trim and drive 3.7 km to Innes Road (Regional 30). Turn left or ENE on Innes and go 1.6 km to Frank Kenny Road. Turn right or SSE onto it and proceed 2.9 km to Regimbald Road. Turn left or NNE onto it and drive 1.6 km to O'Toole Road. Pull off on Regimbald, to the east of the corner, to scan the fields.
        Mer Bleue - French Hill Loop Route Directions: From the junction of Dunning and Regimbald Roads, go WSW on Regimbald 2.7 km to O'Toole Road. Park on Regimbald to the east of the corner of Regimbald and O'Toole Roads, to scan the fields.
Map of Regimbald and O'Toole Roads area.
Map of Regimbald and O'Toole Roads area
Click on other site numbers to go to their pages.
Giroux Road Quarry Ponds Giroux and Dunning Roads Sarsfield and Regimbald Roads Dunning and Regimbald Roads Regimbald and O'Toole Roads Frank Kenny and Wall Roads
        Site Description and Birding Information: The area depicted on the map above has extensive areas of farm fields shown in green. This kind of habitat is getting rather rare this near the city. While it is still here, the avid birder can search the fields for those species that need or prefer such agricultural areas. This area is particularly good for winter raptors, such as Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks and, that big fan favourite, the Snowy Owl. Nearly every winter, at least one of these magnificent birds sets up a hunting territory somewhere in this general area. Some winters bring several birds.
East of Regimbald and O'Toole Roads
East of Regimbald and O'Toole Roads
Haying West of Regimbald and O'Toole Roads
Haying West of Regimbald and O'Toole Roads

         The view east of the junction of Regimbald and O'Toole Roads allows the scanning of a large expanse of fields. Check field edges and isolated trees for perching raptors. Watch the fields themselves for Gray Partridge, Horned Larks, Snow Buntings and maybe even Lapland Longspurs. Check the fields west of the junction, past the small woodlot. These fields extend all the way to Frank Kenny Road and are usually better than the fields to the east.
         During the 2004 - 05 "invasion", a Great Gray Owl was found 1.8 km south of here, at Frank Kenny and Giroux Roads, on Feb. 2, 2005. The following winter one stayed from Feb. 8 to Mar. 8, 2006 only 1.3 km SSE of here at the Giroux Road Quarry Ponds.
        Mer Bleue - French Hill Loop Route Directions: From the junction of Regimbald and O'Toole Roads, go WSW on Regimbald 1.6 km to Frank Kenny Road. Turn right or NNW and proceed 0.3 km to Wall Road. Turn left or WSW onto it and park near the junction at the next site on this loop, the corner of Frank Kenny and Wall Roads, to scan the fields.
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Copyright © 2000 - 2009     Larry E. Neily
Last update:  October 27, 2009