ONTBIRDS for Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Time   [Ontbirds] Carden Alvar and Kirfield Areas - Least Bittern, Shrikes, Warblers and Sparrows   Norman Murr   5:07am   [Ontbirds]Carden Alvar and Algonquin   Geoff - Birds   7:26pm

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Subject: [Ontbirds] Carden Alvar and Kirfield Areas - Least Bittern,
         Shrikes, Warblers and Sparrows
From: "Norman Murr" <normurr(AT)sympatico.ca>
Date: 10 Jun 2008 5:07am

Good Morning

 Yesterday I joined Ian Cannell, Irwin Batalla and Bud Rowe for another great
trip to the Kirkfield area and we found most of the sought after species before
Bud and Irwin had to leave and drive back to Kingston so I am sorry :>))  Bud
and Irwin for some of the birds listed below that we all missed together.

 After Bud and Irwin left Ian and I returned to Wylie Road and then drove west
along Alvar Road and through Dalrymple and onto some of the roads just south of
Kirkfield and below are a quick count from my records of some of the high lights
 from the 97 species we did find.

 Common Loon, D-C Cormorant, 4 American Bitterns, Least Bittern, Wood Duck, 10
Osprey including 6 active nests, Cooper's Hawk, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, 8
Virginia Rails, Sora, Common Moorhen, Sandhill Crane, 24 Upland Sandpipers, many
 Wilson's Snipe, 4 Black-billed Cuckoos, Common Nighthawk, Ruby-throated
Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, 5 Woodpecker species including Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker, and Pileated Woodpecker, E. Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Alder,
Willow, Least and Great Crested Flycatchers, tons of Eastern Kingbirds, Cliff
Swallow, Common Raven, House, Sedge and Marsh Wrens, 27 Eastern Bluebirds,
Veery, Wood Thrush, many Brown Thrashers, Gray Catbird, Warbling and Red-eyed
Vireo, Cedar waxwing, 7 Loggerhead Shrikes ( we found these Shrikes in 4
different locations including one on each side of the road about 200 yards south
 of Bluebird box #10 on Wylie Road ), 12 Warbler species including 4
Golden-winged Warblers, Northern Waterthrush, Pine Warbler and Canada Warbler,
Indigo Bunting, 10 Sparrow species including many Eastern Towhees, 4
Clay-colored Sparrows, Field, Vesper, Swamp, White-throated, many Savannah and
34 Grasshopper Sparrows, Baltimore Oriole, many, many  Eastern Meadowlarks and
Bobolinks and a nice male Purple Finch right in front of us on the road.

 Another great trip up there and again with great company. We didn't see a Bear
but we did see Snapping and Painted Turtles, Green Frog  and Grey Tree Frogs,
Beaver, Deer, and Varying Hare ( Snowshoe Rabbit ) and for those that love
Wildflowers, Butterflies, Dragonflies or just the outdoors then the Kirkfield
area is a great place to spend a day ( or longer ) in June.

 Even though we did not find that the biting insects were much of a problem
yesterday be sure to go prepared for them.

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 2 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.

Norm Murr
Richmond Hill, ON

"Sils mordent, mords les"
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Subject: [Ontbirds]Carden Alvar and Algonquin
From: "Geoff - Birds" <avocet(AT)rogers.com>
Date: 10 Jun 2008 7:26pm

Between heavy rainfall events, Peter Hogenbirk and I worked parts of Carden
Alvar and Algonquin today, June 10th.

Highlights along Wylie Rd. were Whip-poor-will nest with two eggs at edge of
road, Loggerhead Shrike feeding babies, 4 Black-billed Cuckoos, over 20
Grasshopper Sparrows, 2 Golden-winged Warblers, and a Tennessee Warbler (near
Liftlock), plus all the usual suspects.

Algonquin: Female Peregrine Falcon at Km 8, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Black-backed
 Woodpecker and two Yellow-bellied Flycatchers at Wolf Howl Pond, Merlin at
Logger's Exhibit and a male Spruce Grouse on Spruce Bog Boardwalk.

Geoff Carpentier
Ajax, Ontario
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS(AT)hwcn.org
For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit
http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php
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