Yesterday Ian Cannell and I spent the morning and part of the afternoon in the
Carden Alvar / Kirkfield area and among the 101 species we found were some of
the following high lights.
First off at the Sedge Wren Marsh we too heard and also saw one of the Yellow
Rails discovered by Jay Peterson on Monday evening. We heard and saw the rail
on the east side of the road just north of the bridge.
Some of the other birds we found while up there were Common Loon, Pied-billed
Grebe, American Bitterns, Green Heron, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teals, Wood
Ducks, Ospreys, N. Harrier, Broad-winged Hawk, Wild Turkeys, Virginia Rails,
Soras, Upland Sandpipers, many Snipe, Woodcock, Nighthawks, Whip-poor-wills,
Y-b Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker, Alder and Great Crested Flycatchers, Raven,
House, Sedge and Marsh Wrens, E. Bluebirds, Veery and Wood Thrushes, many Brown
Thrashers, Loggerhead Shrikes, Blue-headed, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed
Vireos, 17 1/2 Warbler species including Golden-winged, Brewster’s (the 1/2),
Tennessee, Pine, Blackpoll and Canada and many Ovenbirds, and 13 N.
Waterthrush, Scarlet tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Eastern Towhees, Field,
Grasshopper, Clay-colored and White-crowned Sparrows, many Bobolinks, Purple
Fiches and Baltimore Orioles and on the way home a fly over Bald Eagle and
Cooper’s Hawk.
We met Jay Peterson on Wylie Road and he informed us that he had found
Blue-winged, Blackburnian and Cape may Warblers making it at least 20 1/2
Warbler species in the area yesterday.
Caution:- If going to the Alvar / Kirkfield areas be aware that this is Black
Fly season and we did encounter many of these little pests and though we did
not encounter many Mosquitos or Deer Flies that may have been because of the
cool day but if it ever warms up this spring then these two will also be
present in numbers.
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, Eldon Station,
Rockview, Doyle, Palestine, Creek View, and McNamee Road, etc.
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.
PPS
Wylie Rd south of the Sedge Wren Marsh is good for Upland Sandpiper, Vesper and
Grasshopper Sparrows and lots of Eastern. 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.
Yet another PS
A personal map of Directions to Kirkfield is available on request as is a map
of The Carden / Kirkfield Areas and a short list of some of the birds you may
find along some of the roads.
Please contact me in private at normurr@sympatico to request any of the above.
Norm Murr
Richmond Hill
Ontario, Canada
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