Eastern Bluebirds At Carden Alvar In Ontario

Bob and I were up early one morning in May in our attempt to get to the Carden Alvar, in Ontario, Canada, at a decent morning hour. As things turned out, we found ourselves on Wylie Road by 8:30 a.m. and scored lots of sightings, among them several pairs of Eastern Bluebirds.

All along the length of Wylie Road, which is in central Ontario, there is habitat suitable for many species of birds, including bluebirds. Much of the Carden Alvar’s grasslands, shrublands, and wetlands, and places like the Windmill Ranch, are under the protection of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

The Old Windmill Ranch, like most of the grasslands that border Wylie Road, is cordoned off with steel fence posts and barbed wire to discourage people from leaving the road and intruding on the protected wildlife’s territory.

It was good to see that some of the old, rotted wood fence posts had been replaced with new ones. All it will take is for some industrious woodpecker to hollow out a cavity that, in years to come, may end up being used by an Eastern Bluebird.

In the meantime, plenty of birdhouses have been erected to accommodate both the Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows that make the road their home during breeding season.

We pulled over onto the shoulder of the gravel road to observe one pair of Eastern Bluebirds that appeared to be staking a claim on one of the birdhouses.

There was no way of knowing if eggs already lay in a nest, but this male Eastern Bluebird was very attentive and made several forays into the field.

At one point, at least four Eastern Bluebirds zeroed in on this particular nest box.

We left the bluebirds vying for the right to occupy this single birdhouse keenly aware that many tree swallows would be equally hopeful to take up residence in the birdhouse as well.

There are many interesting aspects to the Carden Alvar, which include bird blinds and places where you can hike along streams, through forests, and across meadows.

I thought this whimsical sign on one of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) birding stations was quite charming. The OFO is dedicated to the study of bird life in Ontario.

Excellent views of the eastern bluebirds were had at many locations along Wylie Road, made possible by the placement of the nest boxes on the perimeter of all the grassland. The intensity of the blue plumage on this male Eastern Bluebird was so beautiful to behold.