NeilyWorld  Birding Ottawa - Southwest - Mississippi River Valley Loop

        Independent Directions to this Site: From Highway 417 (The Queensway) take exit 144 (Carp Road or Regional Road 5). If driving east, a 0.6 km offramp brings you to Carp Road, where you will turn right or southeast onto it. If travelling west, the 0.5 km offramp dumps you right or west onto Carp Road, where you will turn left or southeast onto it and in 0.6 km join the eastbound offramp traffic. Both groups will now follow Carp Road southeast for 2.3 km to Stittsville Main Street North. Turn right or southeast onto it and drive 2.6 km to Fernbank Road. Turn right or southwest onto Fernbank and proceed 6.7 km to Jinkinson Road. Turn right or northeast onto it and drive 1.4 km to the Jinkinson Road Trailway.

        Mississippi River Valley Route Directions: From the Fernbank Road Trail, continue southwest along Fernbank Road for 3.5 km to Jinkinson Road. Turn right or northeast onto it and drive 1.4 km to the Jinkinson Road Trailway.

         Site Description and Birding Information: The passing of the railway has left us with some excellent, albeit straight and level, trails. Some wiseacre has labelled them "trailways". This old railbed, between Stittsville and Carleton Place, has the advantage of running through a variety of forested and swampy land and a slightly elevated viewing level. It can be trudged in either direction. From here, it goes 6.4 km northeast to Stittsville or 4.5 km to Dywer Hill Road to the southwest.

         A Boreal Owl was seen on Mar. 13, 2005 along the Trailway. It was c. 1 km west along the trail from Jinkinson Road, on the north side sitting in a tree, quite visible from the trail.

        Mississippi River Valley Route Directions: From the Jinkinson Road Trailway, return south along Jinkinson Road for 1.4 km to Fernbank Road. Turn right or southwest onto it and drive 3.8 km to the Dywer Hill Road. Turn right or northwest onto it and proceed 6.9 km to Hamilton Side Road. Turn left or southwest onto it and go 1.5 km to John Kennedy Road. Turn left or southeast onto it and go 0.1 km to the end of the road. Park here to visit the next site on this loop, the Trail SE of John Kennedy Road.