1910] The Ottawa Naturalist. 35 



WINTER BIRDS AT POINT PELEE, QNT. 



By W. E. Saunders, London, Ont. 



On February 1st, 1909, Mr. J. S. Wallace and the writer 

 made an expedition to Point Pelee to determine what birds were 

 passing the winter in that locality. This is the spot where a 

 greater winter population may be expected than in any other 

 part of the mainland of Ontario, on account of its being the 

 most southerly extension, and although our observations were 

 partly made during a cold blizzard, and the ground was snow 

 covered during the entire visit, yet we found more than forty 

 species, as detailed in a number of The Ottawa Naturalist 

 of last year. 



The winter of 1909-1910 came on slowly, and there was 

 really no very severe weather. The lowest temperature at 

 London, up to the 19th of February, was about 10 below zero, 

 and this would indicate that the lowest temperature at Point 

 Pelee was about 10 above zero. This is approximately the same 

 temperature that we met with last year on our winter trip. 

 During the earlier parts of the present winter, the ground was 

 coniparatively free from snow, and yet. even in November, when 

 winter had not yet begun, the dearth of birds, not only at Point 

 Pelee, but all through Ontario, was striking. 



During January and early February there was an unusual 

 quantity of snow, and this is the only respect in which the 

 Vi inter has apparently been a difficult one for the birds. More- 

 over, snow itself is not supposed_to be an inconvenience to many 

 birds, except as it covers their food, and I noticed in November, 

 as well as February, that the crop of berries at Point Pelee on 

 the various species of Cornus and VibMrnum was very large, so 

 that food for a good many species must have been abundant. 

 Nevertheless, we succeeded in recording only twenty-four 

 species from February 11th to 14th, 1910, as against over forty 

 in the first few days of February, 1909. The former winter was 

 signalized by the influx of many northern species. Redpolls 

 were abundant, and Crossbills, Evening Grosbeaks and others 

 were seen; but along with them Avere found at the Point, 

 Hermit Thrushes, Chewinks, and White-throated Sparrows in 

 considerable numbers, which species were entirely absent during 

 our visits in November, December, January, and February of 

 the past winter. Robins, Bluebirds and Flickers, wdiich were 

 there in large numbers a year ago, were comparatively rare this 

 3'ear. Several other species which were seen the previous 

 winter in small numbers, were absent, but this, of course, 

 would be expected. The surprising part of the whole matter is 



