Some Carden birds April 6th Posted on April 7, 2013 at 07:51:06 PM by Norm Murr
After birding Algonquin Saturday morning Ian Cannell and I headed down Hwy 35 to the Kirkfield and Carden Alvar area.
In the Carden Area we found some nice birds including 11 Waterfowl species that included Ring-necked Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, and approx. 225 Common Mergansers on Canal Lake. The lake had 10 of those species minus Wood Ducks which we found in other places. On the lake ice we spotted 2 juvenile Bald Eagles and over the ice Common Ravens. There were 500 to 600 waterfowl on the lake.
Other birds that we found were Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vultures, 3 Osprey, several A. Kestrels, Merlin, Wild Turkeys, A. Coot, Sandhill Cranes, Killdeer, 3 Loggerhead Shrikes (McNamee and Shrike Roads), Tree Swallows, and Eastern Meadowlarks along with many of the more common birds like Red-winged Blackbirds, Robins and Grackles.
We also had a close encounter with a Beaver and we found a Porcupine asleep in a tree.
NOTE:- Wylie Road has been graded and is good driving only as far north as the little cabin on the west side (1.2 KM north of McNamee Rd). From there the road is in very bad shape no doubt caused by the multiple number of ATV’s we saw roaring down the road.