NeilyWorld  Birding Ottawa - Southwest - Stony Swamp Loop


RUSHMORE ROAD

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

        Independent Directions to this Site: From Highway 416 take exit 66 (Fallowfield Road). If southbound, a 0.4 km offramp dumps onto Fallowfield, where you will turn right or west. If northbound, the 0.4 km offramp brings you to Fallowfield, where you will turn left or west onto it and in 0.5 km join the southbound offramp traffic. Both groups will now follow Fallowfield Road west 4.5 km from here, passing Moodie Drive and Richmond Road to reach Eagleson Road. Turn left or southeast onto Eagleson Road and drive 2.1 km to Rushmore Road.
        Stony Swamp Loop Route Directions: From the junction of Eagleson Road and Akins Road, turn right or SSE onto Eagleson and drive the 0.8 km to Rushmore Road.
MS Virtual Earth Satellite Map of Rushmore Road Area
MS Virtual Earth Satellite Map of Rushmore Road Area

        Site Description and Birding Information: This site is a prime winter birding locale consisting of flat agricultural area. Look for freshly manured fields to attract flocks of Horned Lark, Snow Bunting and a few Lapland Longspur. From mid-fall till mid-spring this is one of the most consistant locations to find Snowy Owl. They are often seen perched in the open on hydro pylons or telephone poles. This site is adjacent and easily combined with the similar Shea & Akins Roads site. If you missed the Snowy Owl at one, you will probably see it at the other.
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

         The best strategy for birding this area is to drive slowly along Rushmore Road, stopping to scan all hydro pylons, telephone poles and fence posts with your binoculars or scope. You might think a large white bird would stand out like a sore thumb, but often careful scanning is needed to find them, especially when the landscape is white with snow. You will find some "plastic shopping bag" owls and "javex-bottle" owls, and the more common "snow-lump" owls to confuse the issue. Continue along Rushmore for its 2.0 km length, where it comes out to Richmond Road.
         In summer, watch for Gray Partridge and Upland Sandpiper, both breeders in the area. Gray Partridge can be found all year in this and the previous site, Shea & Akins Roads.
Upland Sandpiper at Rushmore and Eagleson
Upland Sandpiper at Rushmore and Eagleson - July 31, 2003
         This site is also very close to the Richmond Lagoons location in the Marlborough Forest loop.
        Stony Swamp Loop Route Directions: From the junction of Rushmore Road and Richmond Road, turn right or SSE onto Richmond and drive the 2.3 km to the bridge at Twin Elm, our next site.
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Copyright © 2000 - 2009     Larry E. Neily
Last update:  October 25, 2009