Nature & Science
By LYNNE IRONS
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Jan. 30 36 17 .00
Jan. 31 38 22 .01*
Feb. 1 44 19 .00
Feb. 2 48 33 .00
Feb. 3 51 32 .32*
Feb. 4 38 22 .22*
Feb. 5 30 11 .00
*melted precipitation
Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 34º F.
Walk in the Woods
The Vineyard Conservation Society’s winter walks program will continue this Sunday, Feb. 8, starting at 1 p.m. at the Frances Newhall Woods Preserve. Guided walks on this private property have been held annually since 1991 when it was permanently protected through a gift of a conservation restriction to The Nature Conservancy.
The walk will last approximately two hours, and participants should dress appropriately. From West Tisbury, proceed up North Road about one mile, and look for VCS signs on the left.
Next Monday night’s Snow Moon, a full moon, appears in the zodiacal constellation Cancer, a constellation we associate with spring. Though snow was in the air this week, spring isn’t that far away. More stars of spring start showing up late in the evening, after 11 p.m.
This year, this distinguished first will not go to Tom Hodgson of West Tisbury.
Even though Tom has been patiently waiting, he will be out of town when the big event happens. He says it should be soon, as he has been tracking the progress of what I consider the little flower that could.
It’s a good thing February is a short month, because it’s easily the dullest one in the birding year. With the great ponds mostly or entirely frozen, many of our ducks have had to press farther south. Meanwhile, snow storms and cold snaps have pruned the numbers of songbirds, either through mortality or by pushing these birds, too, farther south. A couple of recent outings ranked among the slowest days of birding I can recall.
Almanac
A comprehensive guide to weather and tides on the Island.
Vineyard Gardener
I guess this past week weather-wise is called a January thaw. We did not really experience it the last several years as December was unseasonably warm.
Farm & Field
Beige and brown and tan and black, with horns spiraled or semicircular or in undulating waves, a legion of goats marched up the hill toward us, bleating in anticipation of fresh grass and leaves.