By Jeremy Hatt
Since 2015, birders in Essex County have kept a list of all the species found in our area during the month of February, a challenge we call the “Depths of Winter”. It was originally started to encourage local birders to get out during the coldest month of the year and to have a friendly competition amongst ourselves. Depths of Winter used to be conducted on a local listserv named WEPBirds but now reports during the period can be posted to the Ontario Bird Alert Discord server or posted to eBird. Data for the Depths of Winter list is tallied from eBird, Discord, other local listservs, and word of mouth.
2024 was the ninth year birders have taken part in the Depths of Winter challenge. The total number of species tallied this year was 119, tying the record set in 2021. Mild temperatures bookending the month mostly account for this high total w/ many shorter distance migrants arriving earlier than usual and other species being able to overwinter due to almost no ice cover throughout most of the month.
New additions to the Depths of Winter List since 2015 included American White Pelican (record early migrants) Black-crowned Night-Heron (rare overwintering species in the county), and Black-headed Grosbeak (new to Essex County!). American White Pelicans arrived on February 23rd w/ an estimate of about 50 birds. This number rose quickly to about 325 birds by March 3rd. The Black-crowned Night-Heron was an immature bird that managed to overwinter at the Little River Pollution Control Plant, and the Black-headed Grosbeak was coming to a private feeder.
Other highlights this year included Ross’s Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Snowy Owl (virtually absent in the county this winter), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Townsend’s Solitaire, and Tree Swallow (record early).
Notable misses included Short-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Northern Mockingbird (becoming more scarce in the county outside of spring migration), Lapland Longspur, Marsh Wren, American Pipit, and Savannah Sparrow.
Since its inception in 2015, the Depths of Winter List now stands at a total of 146 species. Historically, according to eBird, there have been 163 species recorded in Essex County in February.