Good day Folks. On Wednesday the 15th Ian Cannell and I birded the Carden Alvar and some roads south of Kirkfield and on Saturday the 18th we returned with Zoe Brocklehurst and Justen Dralle and birded some of the same areas and as usual the birding was outstanding as was the company, especially on Saturday and following are some of the 107 bird species we found along with some accumulative sightings totals. The Whip-poor-will, Nighthawk and Saw-whet Owl totals were for the 15th only.
Pied-billed Grebe (12) - (including 2 families – 1 female with 3 chicks and 1 with 5 chicks), Common Loons, American Bittern (6), Least Bittern (2) Saturday only, Green Heron, Wood Duck (9), Green-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, Osprey (16) includes birds seen on the way from Carden, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Merlin (3), Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Virginia Rail (16 including chicks), Sora, Common Moorhen, Sandhill Crane, Upland Sandpiper (31), Black-billed Cuckoo (5), Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Great Horned Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl (5), Common Nighthawk (17), Eastern Whip-poor-will (63), Pileated Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, Common Raven, House Wren, Sedge Wren (28), Marsh Wren (34), Eastern Bluebird (18), Veery, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Golden-winged, Nashville, Chestnut-sided, Yellow-rumped and Black-and-white Warblers, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Clay-colored Sparrow (6), Field and Vesper Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrow (36), Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting and Purple Finch. Some of the 15 species of animals were White-tailed Deer, Porcupine, Gray Fox (great find), Varying Hare (Snowshoe Rabbit), Beaver and many Green Frogs and Gray Treefrogs. Directions:- CARDEN ALVAR INCLUDING WYLIE ROAD / THE SEDGE WREN MARSH / PROSPECT ROAD ALONG WITH A FEW AREAS SOUTHWEST OF KIRKFIELD 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 Road, 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 Road (a T intersection). Birding can be good on Alvar 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 or at the gravelled parking areas that you will find at several places along 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, nor should you. Please respect the property rights of the land owners. Other roads to check in the area are Shrike, Curl’s, Dalrymple Lake Road, Eldon Station, Rockview, Doyle, Palestine, Creek View, and McNamee Road, etc. PS Down Rockview Road just west of Kirkfield on your right along County Road 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. We continue to find the N. Waterthrushes here. Also along here you should find Upland Sandpiper and Grasshopper Sparrow. Prospect Road Marsh Continue south on Rockview Road to Eldon Station Road (the next road) turn right (west) and drive to Prospect Rd. Turn right (north) and drive up to a large marsh. Here you could find many Marsh Wrens along with Sora, Virginia Rail, Common Moorhen, American Bittern, Least Bittern and Green Heron and watch for Osprey, Northern Harrier and Turkey Vulture. If you continue north on this road you will come upon another small marsh and pond just short of County Road 48. Of coarse most of the roads in this and the Wylie Road area can be very productive and it is not a stretch saying you could spend a whole day in the area, I have and do. Norm Murr Richmond Hill, Ontario _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/