Song of Spring on the Carden Alvar

Posted Saturday February 01, 2020

As the weather slowly warms and winter fades away humans and animals alike begin to wake up from hibernation and explore the great outdoors.

This time of year birds return home and their songs once again fill the air. Kawartha Lakes is home to more than 260 different species of birds, and visiting the Carden Alvar is a unique experience not to be missed. Reaching the Carden Plan is an easy road trip less than 90 minutes North East of the Greater Toronto Area. 

Situated in the Kirkfield area, the Carden Plain is known as The Land Between and is rated among the top five birding locations in Ontario and among the top 200 in the world.

The Carden Plain was identified as an Important Bird Area in 1998,based on its large concentrations of grassland bird species, and because it is an area which supports one of the last known breeding populations of the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike in Ontario.

It offers globally rare alvar habitat supporting an abundance of grassland birds, including the endangered Loggerhead Shrike along with the rare Golden-wing Warbler plus Osprey, Black Terns, Sedge Wrens, Yellow Rails, Upland Sandpipers, Blue Birds, Eastern Towhees, and Brown Thrashers.

Detailed information on the Carden Alvar is available on the Carden Alvar Provincial Park website.

For those who want to extend their stay after exploring the Carden Alvar there is no shortage of places to go bird watching in Kawartha Lakes.