Shoreline change is a dynamic process, especially at Wasque, the southern part of Chappaquiddick, owned and managed by The Trustees of Reservations. This shoreline is very dynamic, sometimes accreting rapidly and sometimes eroding rapidly. Wasque is now eroding rapidly — parking lots have eroded away this winter, leaving an almost unrecognizable beach. What is going on? Why is it eroding so much now? There are several factors that explain this change.

Yellow seems to be the color of the week, with two reports of unusual yellow birds.

On Monday I got an e-mail from Sue Hruby, reporting a yellowish bird bigger than a tufted titmouse that showed up at her West Tisbury feeder early on April 26. She correctly identified the bird as a western tanager, noting that the red was clearly visible, but not bright. She also took some photos of the bird, so it was easy to confirm the identification.

The news of the week has to be centered on snow. Twelve inches of it in my yard, and reports of 16 to 18 inches up-Island.

For those of you who have been commenting on the seeming scarcity of birds at your feeder, this fluffy white stuff may be the thing that brings more birds into your yard. The snow makes it harder for many birds to find their natural foods and so they are more likely to supplement their diet by frequenting bird feeders.