Creek running through the Carden Alvar
Yesterday my husband and I visited the Carden Alvar, a globally rare habitat for wildlife east of Lake Simcoe and about an hour northeast of where we live. An alvar is limestone or dolomite plain covered by a thin layer of soil. We like to visit the area a few times a year to checkout what's happening there.
Muskrat out and about
What we discovered was lots of water. It's often marshy there in spring...
Fenceline along private property
and areas that are normally dry most of the year were mushy. The properties are a mixture of private ranches (beef cattle) and land gradually being purchased to eventually become a provincial park.
Marsh grasses have emerged
Here you can see last year's grass is giving way to this year's.
Last year's oriole nest
The trees were in bud and will soon leaf out.
Bloodroot
And one of my favourite wildflowers was in boom.
More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.
Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.
that nest is really cool, I have not seen one like it before. love the muskrat shot and the marsh grasses
ReplyDeleteWell, if the bloodroots are in bloom, I will have to go out and see what is happening in the woods here...
ReplyDeleteA beautiful spot. I really like that nest.
ReplyDeleteSuch signs of spring never fail to amaze me, especially when something that seems so dead and done for suddenly sprouts new life!
ReplyDeletebeautiful! i like the marshiness of it.
ReplyDeleteNice captures EG, that muskrat looks a bit fierce. Hope you wore your rubber boots!
ReplyDeleteThat nest is so interesting, so much like the weaver bird's yet so different.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots! The oriole nest is so interesting. I had no idea they were constructed that way. What a beautiful day for a hike.
ReplyDeleteIt's so wonderful to see the Bloodroot flowering!
ReplyDeleteHi I remember one summer day Paul and I took a lunch and did some sightseeing at the Carden Alvar. We saw many birds that I had never seen before as well as different plants. It's an amazing place. Valerie
ReplyDeletethat was a nice little walk through the nature reserve!
ReplyDeleteThis post provides a nice tour of the area. I especially like the muskrat because we don't see those down here so far as I know. Love the bee on the flower, too!
ReplyDeleteSo lovely to see your world coming to life again.
ReplyDeleteOh I happened do do the same thing this weekend enjoy nature for all it shares. I explored the Alvar and photographed the Bloodroot but no Beavers here on the farm.
ReplyDeleteI love Nature notes and your photos. B
What a great area to have nearby. I love the Bloodroot too.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pics as usual. MB
Well I am not a muskrat lover...but I do have to admit he was aweful cute in this photo. Great capture.
ReplyDeletelovely! i really like the nest.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful place to visit. It sounds like it is different each time to you go. We enjoy going back to places like that time after time.
ReplyDeleteWow! Muskrat photo and oriole nest are fantastic photos ^_^ ~ Beautiful post .
ReplyDeleteQue lugar lindo e agreste. Gosto muito de ver os animais em seu habitat natura. Ameis seu blog cheio de interessantes post.
ReplyDeleteTenha uma ótima semana.
Anajá Schmitz
Very nice to have a wildlife preserve close to home. Great capture of the muskrat!
ReplyDeleteSpring has indeed sprung. It sounds and looks like a lovely place to explore.
ReplyDeleteVery mushy landscape!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a wonderful place to explore. I live in Georgetown and travel past that general area when going to the cottage north of Huntsville (outside of Burks Falls). I'll have to check it out some time.
ReplyDeletelovely post and photos, I like those white flowers.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely place!! Beautiful white flowers and I love the oriole nest! Terrific captures as always, EG!! Hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteEnjoying nature on the weekends is my way to relax. Cool sighting of the muskrat. And the wildflowers are pretty. Beautiful natures scenes and photos.
ReplyDeletewhat what an interesting landscape. i hope it gets to be a provincial park and hopefully then would be more protected and saved.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos and I never knew Orioles created such a nest, that's an amazing piece of engineering for such a little thing. So cool!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos !
ReplyDeleteMakes me want to put my canoe in the water.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like interesting habitat and those Bloodroot flowers are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great shot of the muskrat. I have never seen one before so thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletewhat a great place to explore. Interesting habitat and I love seeing the muskrat.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and the Bloodroot is a pretty flower.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen an oriole nest before. it really is quite a work of art! This looks like a wonderful place to be with a camera. Love that little muskrat!
ReplyDeleteYou get to see the coolest things! I love the fence and all of the others too!
ReplyDeleteWow. What a wonderful piece of our world have you found? And with wildlife that allows you to come so close. Would love to come for a walk along your end of the woods.
ReplyDeleteThe first and third photos are pretty nice landscapes. And, flowers! already!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a wonderful wild looking place.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt Spring is especially welcome this year!
ReplyDeleteVery belatedly, «Louis» thanks you for your visit to San Francisco Bay Daily Photo. He would welcome your participation again in his Sunday Bridges series.
this is a wonderful place to visit. the marsh grasses and nest are quite interesting. pretty flowers, too.
ReplyDeleteThese are lovely sets of photos.
ReplyDeleteThanks you also for visiting my blog and I am loving your l...definitely enjoyed my visit.
Amazing nature, I'm enchanted by that wildflower!
ReplyDeleteLéia
Very pretty scenery. The muskrat looks healthy.
ReplyDeletegreat shots of the animals! :)
ReplyDeleteLove the bloodroot!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteThese are all wonderful, and I especially like the first one.
ReplyDelete=)
Interesting area - and I wish I had come here before posting mine. It would have saved me the hour I spent trying to identify the bloodroot in my yard! I had never seen it before yesterday.
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely pictures.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed your nature notes of what's happening this Spring - love any journal-like posts:)
ReplyDeleteYep, winter has left your part of the world. Great photos, especially the muskrat!
ReplyDeletegreat idea to get away. spring flowers unlock something in the spine I think. click the combination lock.
ReplyDeleteWhat a very lovely post! with beautiful photos! =) and I think I've never seen a muskrat before. I even had to translate it. It's quite unknown to me. and so nice to see it here! :)
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful Eg... and so nice to see a muskrat as I miss ours here so much...Michelle
ReplyDelete