The Happy Camper: A Tour of Amherst Island’s Trails

I’m learning so much about the wild areas near Kingston, Ontario. I moved to the area in late summer and have ventured out to many woods and waterway areas I knew nothing about previously. One in particular that I truly enjoy returning to time and time again is Amherst Island. It’s a small linear piece of land out on Lake Ontario near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, just west of Kingston.

The natural areas of the island are so unique. There’s nothing that compares. The majority of it is made up of farm fields, woodlots, lowland swamps and the coastal shoreline of Lake Ontario. Here, wildlife species outnumber the people who call it their home. This tightly knit community holds a mere 450 full-time residents, and the majority of the families have lived remotely on the island for generations. Let’s just say that if you meet another vehicle passing the other way on one of the twisting, dusty backroads, they’re guaranteed to give you a friendly wave ‘hello.’ It’s what they do here.

What attracts most tourists and naturalists is the islands diverse bird life, especially in the winter. It’s known internationally as the largest gathering place of wintering owls and raptors. On my last trip there in early January my birding list added up to five short-eared owls, two bald eagles, one barred owl, one snowy owl, one rough-legged hawk, one northern harrier (marsh hawk) and one red tailed hawk. It was an amazing day—and most sightings were done while simply driving the backroads around the island where the speed limit is only 40 kilometres per hour.

All 66 square kilometres of the land on Amherst Island is privately owned. That’s why most bird sightings in the winter are done from the roadside (biking around the island during the other three seasons is amazing, by the way). But there are a few areas where landowners have kindly allowed public access to hike. There’s also a chunk of private land monitored by the Kingston Field Naturalists.

On a regular winter tour of the island, I usually take the first left (Front Road) after exiting the ferry. That’s right—you have to take a ferry to the island. It’s a twenty-minute float across, accessed from the Millhaven Ferry Dock (on the mainland side) and dropping off at the Stella Ferry Dock (on the island side). The cost is $10 and there is no need to make reservations. Just line up with the other vehicles and keep good ferry line etiquette.

Front Road runs the full length of the island—20 kilometres long from Bluff Point in the southwest to Amherst Bar in the northeast. However, it’s the eastern portion that provides the best areas where you’ll see less people and lots of winter birds—and lots of sheep guarded by those majestic Great Pyrenees and Maremma dogs. You’ll also have amazing views of Stella Bay and come across the first section of the infamous Irish dry-stone walls. The first settlers of the island were Irish immigrants, and they brought with them the art of making farm fences out of local stone. They’re constructed without the use of mortar, and the tradition dates back to the Neolithic Period 5,000 years ago. Amherst Island’s stone walls are said to have the largest concentrations in all of Canada. There’s also a cool old graveyard to check out along the way as well.

The first trail to check out is called Owl Woods. You can access it off of Marshall 40 Foot Road near the far eastern end of the island. The road will be closed off to vehicles in the winter (it’s a rough drive anyway). So, you either park on the shoulder where Front Road meets Marshall Road (on your right) and walk into the trail marker or drive around the eastern point and walk in from the other side, off South Shore Road. It’s about the same distance—approximately a kilometre either way—before you reach the trail marker for Owl Woods. I’ve seen a barred owl on every visit here. Other people have reported sightings or seen a rare boreal owl. You’ll first walk through a second growth hardwood forest and then into a pine plantation. Before heading out take special note that this is private property with permission to access given by the owner. Oh yeah—and you can’t bring your dog.

The second trail on the island is on the southeast point, where Lower 40 Foot Road meets South Shore Road. A 100-hectare conservation reserve of pasture and marshland makes up Martin Edward Reserve. It was purchased by the Kingston Field Naturalists in 1986 to protect the nesting grounds of the largest colony of Wilson’s Phalarope in eastern Ontario. The reserve was labelled Martin Edwards Reserve in 2013 after a world-famous birder and naturalist. The trail itself is a short kilometre linear path that follows the shoreline of Lake Ontario to the southern boundary, ending at a rocky spit of land which extends into the lake.

You’ll see a bunch of purple martin houses and a couple of osprey nesting platforms placed by the naturalist group. The property is believed to be the best spot in the entire Kingston Region for finding rare bird species. It’s my favourite to spot snowy owls, rough legged hawks and dozens of short-eared owls. Take note, however, that you have to be a member of the Kingston Field Naturalists to hike the trail. You can easily do this online before you go.

There’s a second conservation area across the road called the Sylvester-Gallagher Nature Reserve. The 37-hectare parcel of forest and grassland are not yet opened to the public.
The island tour continues as you drive the South Shore Road. You’ll have excellent views of Lake Ontario along the entire stretch. This side of the island doesn’t ice over in the winter months and becomes a great gathering place for an endless list of waterfowl, including rare greater scaup, redhead, long-tailed duck, red-necked loon and the predatory seabird called a Jaeger.

To finish off your winter island loop and bird tour, continue across to the west end by taking 2nd Concession Road from Stella 40 Foot Road, then north on Emerald 40 Foot Road and return to the hamlet of Stella and the ferry by way of Front Road. There’s plenty of open pastureland and woodlots to house owls and hawks during the winter months.

There’s more to check out on Amherst Island than birds. Before taking the ferry back to the mainland check out the Neilson Store Museum in Stella (originally a general store that opened in 1873). Also, there’s the renowned Topsy Farms. The farms were originally a commune formed in 1971 and called Headlands Community. The hippie lifestyle there only lasted four years and the commune was disbanded and then turned into a working family sheep farm. Their retail store called the Wool Shed has become a main island destination for tourists. Their wool products are now known internationally due to one of their queen wool blankets being used in the apocalyptic zombie HBO hit The Last Of Us (Season 1, Episode 8: “When We are In Need”).

It’s also a must to dial in to Amherst Island community radio station CJAI-FM—broadcasting at 101.3 FM. It’s one of the few remaining independent radio stations in Canada, 100 per cent volunteer-run, 100 per cent non-profit and the only Canadian broadcast station located in a barn. It’s also a darn good one. It has the same vibe that “K-Bear” did in that community radio station on the television series Northern Exposure—the one hosted by “Chris in the Morning” (played by John Corbett).
So, pack your woollies, your binoculars, your bird ID books and head to Amherst Island for the day. Here’s a map to help you get around.
I live on Amherst Island and feel Kevin has captured the essence of island very well. We have had as many as 60 short eared owls sitting in the trees in our front yard. That was several years ago when the vole population was at its peak. Unfortunately this year the population of voles are down and so are the birds though in saying this there are still many to see.