NeilyWorld  Birding Ottawa - Southwest - Stony Swamp Loop


JACK PINE TRAIL

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

        Independent Directions to this Site: From Highway 416 take exit 72 (West Hunt Club Road). If southbound, a 0.4 km offramp dumps onto West Hunt Club Road, where you will turn right or southwest. If northbound, the 0.2 km offramp brings you to Cedarview Road, where you will turn right or SSE onto it and in 0.2 km come to West Hunt Club Road. Turn right or southwest onto it and in 0.4 km join the southbound traffic. Both groups will now follow West Hunt Club southwest for an additional 2.1 km to reach Moodie Drive. Turn left or SSE onto it and drive 1.4 km to reach a parking area on the left for the Jack Pine Trail.
        Stony Swamp Loop Route Directions: From the Beaver and Chipmunk Trails parking area, turn right or SSE onto Moodie Drive and proceed 0.8 km to a parking area on the left for the Jack Pine Trail.
Map of Jack Pine Trail Area
Map of Jack Pine Trail Area
        Site Description and Birding Information: This is possibly the best of the Stony Swamp area trails. It passes through both deciduous and coniferous forest, overgrown fields and several open marshes. Three loops originate from either end of the parking area. The longest is 2.2 km, the medium one 1.5 km and the shortest measures 0.6 km. The far loop connects with the western portions of The Log Farm trails. From just north of the parking lot, a trail to the left connects in 0.4 km to trail # 26 of the West Hunt Club Road Trails. The Jack Pine Trail itself is heavily used, especially the shortest loop, but the birds don't seem to mind much. A feeding station is maintained there on the northern portion of the short loop. Because the Black-capped Chickadees are so friendly, many people have lined the trail with milk carton feeders, hoping to entice them closer. A bit of birdseed or a sunflower seed held out in one's hand will soon attract a chickadee to land there. Children love it!
Bird Feeder at the Jack Pine Trail
Bird Feeder at the Jack Pine Trail
         This area has many swamps and marshes, many caused by beaver dams. This leads to lots of dead trees and, in turn, to lots of woodpeckers. Hairy, Downy and Pileated are common all year. Northern Flicker and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker are common in summer. Black-backed Woodpecker has been found here nearly every winter. It is a good spot for watching winter finches, both nuthtaches and Brown Creepers as well. Common Moorhens bred in 2006 in the more northerly pond on the middle loop trail. The middle loop trail ponds have had breeding Virgina Rails, visiting shorebirds in season and once 3 Great Egrets (Aug. 9, 2009). The extensive marshes across Moodie Drive from this site are a good spot to look for Great Horned Owl at dusk.
        Stony Swamp Loop Route Directions: From the Jack Pine Trail parking area, turn left or southeast onto Moodie Drive and proceed 0.7 km to the parking area for the next site on this loop, the Lime Kiln Trail.
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Copyright © 2000 - 2009     Larry E. Neily
Last update:  October 30, 2009