NeilyWorld  Birding Ottawa - Southwest - Stony Swamp Loop

        Independent Directions to this Site: From Highway 416 take exit 72 (West Hunt Club Road). If northbound, the 0.2 km offramp brings you to Cedarview Road, where you will turn left or NNW onto it. If southbound, a 0.4 km offramp dumps onto West Hunt Club Road, where you will turn left or northeast and in 0.4 km turn left or NNW onto Cedarview Road and in 0.2 km join the northbound offramp traffic. Both groups will now follow Cedarview Road NNW for an additional 1.4 km to the parking area, on the right, for the Bruce Pit Trails.

        Stony Swamp Loop Route Directions: From from the junction Greenbank and West Hunt Club Roads, go southwest along West Hunt Club 2.0 km to Cedarview Road. Turn right or northwest onto Cedarview and proceed 1.6 km to the parking area, on the right, for the Bruce Pit Trails.

         Site Description and Birding Information: There is a 2.8 km loop trail (# 29) meandering through the fields and woodland to the east of the parking area. The fields are often occupied by dogs, which are allowed off leash in this area. The deciduous woodlands are usually quieter and parts are quite mature, harbouring Ovenbird, Eastern Wood Pewee and the like. Don't forget to deke down the remnant trail south of the parking area. It goes only a short distance before coming out at a very small alternate parking area along Cedarview Road, but passes a small swampy area on the way.

         Going north from the parking area, there is a trail going around the seasonal pond where the quarry was. This trail goes through mostly second growth habitat, but the pond does attract some water birds. On the evening of June 26, 2005 an immature Black-crowned Night-Heron was seen here.

         By crossing west over Highway 416 via Bruin Road (200 metres), you can access another loop trail (# 28), the northern portion of which is in Bell Arena Park and which makes a 2 km circuit along the powerlines and through the woodland to the west. This trail has an extension heading south that connects with trail # 27 at the West Hunt Club Road Trails site.

         Rarities include: Great Egret (Sep. 11, 2003, June 16, 2004, Aug. 6, 2005 and Aug. 24 to at least Sep. 15, 2007), Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Oct. 13 - 14, 2001- it was seen north of the parking lot, on the trail down the slope along a snow fence in a small area of cattails on the west side of the pond at the end of the fence); Ross's Goose (Oct. 1, 2007). A Northern Hawk Owl spent the winter of 1987-88 (Nov. 23 to Feb. 21) in the woodlot north of the pit. In the invasion year of 2004 - 05, a Great Gray Owl spend Jan. 9 and 10 just west of the footbridge on the north side of the pond.

        Stony Swamp Loop Route Directions: From the Bruce Pit Trails parking area, go left or SSE onto Cedarview Road and drive 3.6 km, passing West Hunt Club Road to reach a road on the right which passes over Highway 416 to the west to reach the parking area for the next of this loop's sites, The Log Farm (about 0.4 km). Watch for Log Farm signage. If you reach Lytle Avenue, you have passed this road by 150 metres.