MUSEUM FEEDERS
Spring: ** Summer: ** Fall: ** Winter: ***
Independent Directions to this Site: From where Autoroute de l'Outaouais or Highway 148 meets Chemin de la Montagne Sud, take de la Montagne northward. At present, this means continuing on Highway 148. After going 1.2 km north, turn left or WNW onto Chemin Pink. Proceed 0.8 km WNW on Pink to Chemin de la Montagne Nord. Turn left or west to continue on Chemin Pink and drive 2.3 km to the turnoff, on the right, for the Canadian Museum of Nature's new storage facility and for the Museum Feeders.
Eardley Escarpment & Gatineau Park Northwest Route Directions: From where you are parked at the trailhead of the Mountain Road Trails on Chemin de la Montagne Nord, near Rue de la Brise, return the 0.6 km southeast to Chemin Pink. Turn right or west on Pink and go 2.6 km to the turnoff, on the right, for the Canadian Museum of Nature's new storage facility and for the Museum Feeders.
Map of Museum Feeders area
Site Description and Birding Information: The old Pink Road Feeders at the Moore's were so productive that when that area was closed it was deemed prudent to find a nearby location to set up shop again. The Museum has allowed the COO and OFNC to use an area behind their new complex to set up the two dozen or so feeders. Look for a small footbridge across the ditch into the woods at the northwest corner of the building. Cross the bridge to reach the small loop trail around the perimeter of the feeders, similar but somewhat smaller than at the previous location. One side of this loop can be very wet. There are two benches for birders to use, allowing them to sit quietly and watch the birds go about their business. The sightings report box is near the entrance and is worth checking to see what has been seen lately. Add your sightings when you leave.
Feeders Behind the Canadian Museum of Nature
The Canadian Museum of Nature owns, and claims to protect, 72 hectares here. About an eighth of the site is building and parking lot, the remainder is woodland and marsh. The Museum has monitoring and educational programs at this site. If there are trails through the woodland, they do not advertise them. In the warmer months, watch along the east side of the building, where a pond has been created on the building side of the road, and a natural marshy pond occurs on the other side.
Across Pink Road from the museum are some old fields (soon to be more suburbs), where one or two of our invading Great Gray Owls were seen from Jan. 4 to at least Mar. 21, 2005.
Barred Owl at Museum Feeders - Photo courtesy Susan Goods
Eardley Escarpment & Gatineau Park Northwest Route Directions: From where you are parked at the Museum Feeders, return to Chemin Pink (Pink Road). Turn right or west on Pink and go 0.7 km to Chemin Vanier (Vanier Road). Turn right or north on Vanier and go 0.4 km to the pulloff at the southern entrance for the next site on this route, the Vanier Road Quarry.
Return to Eardley Escarpment & Gatineau Park Northwest.
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