NeilyWorld  Birding Ottawa - Southwest - Ottawa River West: Ontario

        Independent Directions to this Site: From Highway 417 (The Queensway) take exit 129 (Greenbank & Pinecrest Roads). If travelling west, the 0.3 km offramp dumps you right or north onto Pinecrest Road. If driving east, a 0.3 km offramp brings you to Pinecrest/Greenbank Road, where you will turn left or north onto Pinecrest Road and in 0.4 km join the westbound offramp traffic. Both groups will now follow Pinecrest Road north 1.0 km from here to Carling Avenue. Turn left or west on Carling and go 2.0 km to the turnoff for the parking lot for Andrew Haydon Park on the right or north. Turn right into the lot.

        Ottawa River West: Ontario Route Directions: From the Ottawa Beach parking lot turn right or west on Carling Avenue and go 0.3 km to the next parking lot. Turn right or north into this lot. This is Andrew Haydon Park. Park as far to the right and toward the river as possible.

        Site Description and Birding Information: This is basically a continuation of the last site, Ottawa Beach. It offers a view of the outside of the spit at the creek mouth. Though the view is from across the creek, it is easier than walking through the marsh at Ottawa Beach to get a closer look at it. Unobstructed views of the river here are often less fruitful than those from Ottawa Beach or Stillwater, the next site on the route. When the river is low, extensive mudflats can attract more shorebirds. Be sure to check the western end of the park, looking out over the marshy area at Stillwater. Two ponds and extensive lawn grass sometimes attract birds, especially when it is too cool to attract people. A Brant found the lawns to its liking in October 2004, and stayed on for weeks despite the human use of the park, albeit much reduced at that season. The woods between Ottawa Beach and this site are worth checking in migrations. This is a people oriented park and heavily used.

         That being said, it still has good potential. Many of the same birds seen at Ottawa Beach can be seen from this site, especially the divers on the river. Both Whimbrel and Hudsonian Godwit have touched down here at least once. More unusual birds found here are: Gyrfalcon (whizzing through Mar. 10, 1991); Greater White-fronted Goose (Oct. 30, 1993 and Sep. 13-14, 2007); Pomarine Jaeger (juvenile Sept. 30, 2006); Long-tailed Jaeger (adult on the river Aug. 11-12, 2007); Great Egret (up to 3 off and on from Aug. 24 to at least Sep. 16, 2007).

         Additional information on this and nearby sites is available at the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club website's Britannia page.

        Ottawa River West: Ontario Route Directions: From the Andrew Haydon Park parking lot, turn right or west on Carling Avenue and go 1.0 km to the next turnoff. Turn right or north into this parking area. This is the next site, Stillwater - Dick Bell Park.