Carden Plain/Kirkfield Area - Loggerhead Shrikes, etc.
Outdoor Ontario

Carden Plain/Kirkfield Area - Loggerhead Shrikes, etc.

Anonymous

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Good evening birders.

 Today Alfred Adamo and I went up to the Carden Plain area to check on early arrivals and we found some nice birds.

 As we drove up Cty Rd 6 north out of Kirkfield we stopped at the lift locks where we had a close up view of an overhead Broad-winged Hawk.

 Along Wylie Rd we found Common Snipe, Sandhill Crane, Upland Sandpiper, several Common Ravens, Brown Thrasher, 2 Loggerhead Shrikes (Oposide Bluebird Box 10), Purple Finch, Nashville, Chipping, and Vesper Sparrows, Eastern Towhee and many Eastern Meadowlarks. At the north end of Wylie Rd we turned left (west) and drove along Alvar Rd and along here we found Nashville, Yellow-rumped and Black-throated Green Warblers as well as Purple Finch again.

 At the end of Alvar Rd we turned left (south) on Lake Dalrymple Rd and along here were a pair of Osprey building a nest.

 We then proceeded back through Kirkfield on Cty Rd 6 and turned right (west) and drove to Rockview Rd and along here were more Thrashers and a Cooper's Hawk. We turned right (west) at Eldon Station Rd where Jean Iron told us about both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs in a flooded field and after locating them we drove to Prospect Rd, turned Right (north) and drove up to the southern marsh. Here at the marsh we found both Sora and Virginia Rails.

 We then drove a little further up Prospect to the next marsh (just south of Cty Rd 48) and here we again found Virginia and Sora Rails as well as 2 Moorhens, American Bittern and a Belted Kingfisher.

A note of caution

 At the north marsh on Prospect Rd as we stood on the public road shoulder an Aggregate Co. pickup truck pulled up and the driver stared at us with an angry look without saying a word, just stared. I went over to him, said hello and said we were listening to Rails and Bitterns calling. He still stared with a angry look and I explained that we were viewing Marsh birds and that is what the Rails were. He finally reached out and pointed at a new sign up the road (in the marsh) (It said NO TRESPASSING - PLEASE RESPECT OUR PROPERTY RIGHTS and had a picture of an Osprey and Binoculars on it). He angrily told me it was his property, I said we were not on his property but on the public road looking over the marsh. His answer was that he didn't look into my backyard and that we were not allowed to look into or over the marsh. Allowing that that was ridiculous and reminding him that we were on public property he still said it wasn't allowed I asked him if that meant that I was not allowed to look into a field as we drove by he answered it just isn't allowed and drove off. We continued recording our sightings and he never returned. This is just a heads up for that location as this man looked like he could react physically if angrily confronted (MY Opinion).

DIRECTIONS

WYLIE RD / SEDGE WREN MARSH / PROSPECT RD

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
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Anonymous »


Anonymous

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That sounds like a serious outting, Norm. It would take me a month to cover that area and identify that many birds. It's too bad u have to run into people like that. I havent yet, I have been on private roads and property and everyone I have met has been very polite when they find out I am carrying a camera and I tell them what I am doing.  I usually carry a few prints with me and if I ever run into a problem, there is the option of a little bribery. Maybe I'll come and follow u someday, sounds like u could use a little back up anyway, lol.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Anonymous »


Anonymous

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Thanks for the backup offer but over the years it has become a recurring problem in many rural areas and I am used to it and have enough gall to not to be intimidated by such yahoos. You should have read Ontbirds in the past. But the heads up was for those who the likes of him can intimidate. He tried and he failed and drove on. By the way I do not for a moment believe it was his property.

Norm
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Anonymous »


Anonymous

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Does that mean I cant follow u????,,,,lol:)
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Anonymous »


Anonymous

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Norm Murr's account of an unfriendly landowner at Prospect Marsh is an unfortunate symptom of recent concerns among some Carden landowners that ecological values may restrict their "development rights" in future.  This has resulted in considerable resistance to any form of protection for alvars and bird habitats in the proposed City of Kawartha Lakes Official Plan, and fear about the consequences of anyone finding a Loggerhead Shrike on private lands.

Through the Carden Plain Important Bird Area committee, we are working to find solutions that most landowners can live with, including offering them friendlier versions of signs.  While you certainly have every right to travel on local roads and to observe birds on adjacent lands, we would suggest the following guidelines:

1) DO NOT TRESPASS on private lands - it only creates hard feelings and mistrust of birders.

2) Be aware of nearby houses and homesteads, and don't scope towards them; respect the privacy of people who live here.

3) Make sure your vehicles are not blocking traffic.

4) If you are confronted by an unfriendly landowner, respond in a polite and neutral manner, or simply move on.

5) If you are buying food or gas in the area (and we encourage you to leave some money behind), try to make sure the business knows you have come here to bird, to reinforce the connection with local economic development.

Remember that the Windmill Ranch along the west side of Wylie Road (from about 1 km north of MacNamee Road to well past Sedge Wren Marsh) is now conservation property.  And most Carden landowners, even some with concerns about their landowner rights, still welcome birders to the area.

Ron

Ron Reid
Executive Director, The Couchiching Conservancy
Box 704, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 6K7
(705)326-1620
_______________________________________________
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Anonymous »


Anonymous

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I would just like to say thanks to Mr.Murr for his detailed postings and I usually take his advise. I can't wait until i start going back up to the cottage on Gull Lake as I will cetainly check this area out . Just think I lived up there fo 20 years and never knew the Carden Plain was there.
surfinbird
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Anonymous »


Anonymous

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For those interested see the posting "BIRDERS WELCOME" connection below.

http://www.b2g4.com/boards/board.cgi?us ... nBirdBoard

 :D
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Anonymous »


Craig McL

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it sounds like its starting to be a bad area !! Bev and I wear forest of the rood last year by a 4/weller Truck and the driver was giving us the medal finger salute as he went by???in that same area

Remember when this was happing out at Thiksons woods! I guess with time it will all set all down , but I think ill care my cow cane the next time we go up ..... :wink:

Craig
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Craig McL »
Excuse my spelling and Grammar, I am Dyslexic thank you.