Carden Alvar is a well-known area among Ontario birders. It's an area dominated by shallow soils over limestone "pavement" resulting in many areas with naturally sparse tree cover and therfore dominated by open habitats. There are also numerous wetlands across the area.

The open grassland habitats provide a stronghold for many grassland birds - this and Napanee Plain are the last refuges for the small population of Loggerhead Shrikes in Ontario and no other place in the province is it so easy to find Upland Sandpipers, Wilson's Snipes, Eastern Meadowlarks, Grasshopper Sparrows and more in such numbers. Golden-winged Warblers can be found fairly easily in the second growth wooded areas. 

The season to visit is from May to July when breeding bird activity is at its peak.

Numerous birding guides from OFO are available:

• Eldon 5 in Victoria County by Eleanor Beagan and Jean Iron. OFO News 14:2, June 1996
• Carden Alvar Birding Guide which is an update to the OFO Birding Guide #3 from Ontario Birds 9:3, December 1991.
• Previous OFO trip reports