Good evening folks. Just got back from a long day in the Carden Alvar and area and as usual when we go up there we did quite well and saw and heard lots of birds. It started out coolish with a 1 degree temperature but warmed up nicely later in the day.
Below is a partial list of birds that Ian Cannell, Margaret Liubavicius and I found. Pied-billed Grebes, Trumpeter Swan, Cackling Goose, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, Green Heron, American Bitterns, Ospreys on nests, Bald Eagle, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkeys, 7 Virgina Rails, 4 Soras, Moorhens, Coot, 4 Sandhill Cranes, Woodcocks, 20+ Snipes, 20+ Upland Sandpipers, 20+ Greater and 10+ Lesser Yellowlegs, Common Loons, Kingfishers, Sapsucker, 3 Pileated Woodpeckers ( 1 on the ground right beside the road just inside the fence ), Flickers, Alder Flycatchers, Least Flycatcher, Phoebes, Great Crested Flycatchers, E. Kingbird, Ravens, Warbling Vireo, 2 Loggerhead Shrikes ( 1 in a new place for us ), 29 E. Bluebirds, Hermit Thrush, 30+ Thrashers, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, House Wren, Rough-winged Swallow, Purple Finches, Nashville, Yellow, Magnolia, Yellow-rumped, 4 Pine and Palm Warblers, Ovenbird, N. Waterthrush, Swamp, White-throated, White-crowned, Grasshopper, Chipping, Field, and Vesper Sparrows, 10+ E. Towhees, 30+ Meadowlarks and Rusty Blackbirds. Not a bad haul. Directions:- CARDEN ALVAR INCLUDING WYLIE ROAD / THE SEDGE WREN MARSH / PROSPECT ROAD Wylie Road is north of Kirkfield in Victoria County and Kirkfield itself is on County Road 48 east of Highway 12 and well north of Whitby and about 130 km from Toronto if you follow the roads and not a Crow. >From the centre of Kirkfield go north on County Road 6 passing under the Lift >Lock on the Trent Canal and drive about 2 ½ km further north to where the road >curves left or west. On this curve and on your right is McNamee Rd, turn right >here onto McNamee and drive east for about 300 yards and you will be at Wylie >Road. This road is about 9 ½ km long ending at Alvar Rd (a T intersection). >Birding can be good on this road as well, either way. The Sedge Wren Marsh is about 5 ½ km up Wylie Road, you can’t miss it as it has the only bridge along the road. Park just to the south of and overlooking the bridge and walk the road. Birding is good all along the road and I find that the best birding happens when you park and walk both ways a km or two from your auto. This is a narrow road with little traffic but be sure to park in such a way as to not block the road as you don’t want to rile up the locals. This is all private property but there really is no need to leave the road. Other roads to check in the area are Shrike, Curl’s, Dalrymple, and Eldon Station Roads. PS You may also want to drive down Rockview Rd just west of Kirkfield on your right along County Rd 48. Past the dump road (on your right) you will come to a wet wood lot that straddles the road. This is a great place for N. Waterthrush. We heard and saw 7 there on May 5/01 and May 4/02. Also along here you should find Upland Sandpiper and Grasshopper Sparrow. Continue south to Eldon Station Rd (the next road) turn right (west) and drive to Prospect Rd. Turn right (north) and drive up to a large marsh. Here you should find many Marsh Wrens along with Sora and Virginia Rail, A. Bittern and Green Heron and watch for Osprey, N. Harrier and T. Vulture. If you continue north on this road you will come upon another small marsh and pond just short of County Rd 48. Of coarse most of the roads in this and the Wylie Rd area can be very productive and it is not a stretch saying you could spend a whole day in the area, I have. PPS Wylie Rd south of the Sedge Wren Marsh is good for Upland Sandpiper, Vesper and Grasshopper Sparrow and lots of E. Bluebirds. North of the marsh are the same birds and near the north end of the road watch and listen for Purple Finch, Golden-winged Warbler and Clay-colored Sparrow. PPPS The restaurant and gas station on the east side of Kirfield just past the road ( Hartley Rd ) across Mitchell Lake is now closed and empty. Norm Murr Richmond Hill, ON "Sils mordent, mords les" _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
