Nature & Science
The local chapter of Ducks Unlimited, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to preserving habitat, hosted its 34th annual dinner last Saturday at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown. And though turnout may have been the smallest in the organization’s long Island history, the group felt good about the evening, according to chairman Cliff Meehan.
American author and lecturer Dale Carnegie was onto something when he noted, “I deal with the obvious. I present, reiterate and glorify the obvious because the obvious is what people need to be told.”
This time of year, the obvious is the squirrel. It is the one type of wildlife that we can see every day.
By LYNNE IRONS
Katherine Colon and Laurie Walker three weeks ago reported a sharp-shinned hawk sitting leisurely on the Colon’s back porch on Skiff avenue in Vineyard Haven. Lanny McDowell in stealth mode fully stalked and photographed the sharp-shinned hawk which has been haunting his West Tisbury feeder. Katherine hadn’t seen her sharpie for a while and then during a walk on Feb. 15 found this hawk harassing a flock of house (English) sparrows at the other end of Skiff avenue.
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Feb. 12 37 24 .00
Feb. 13 36 21 .00
Feb. 14 33 24 .00
Feb. 15 39 31 .00
Feb. 16 40 28 .19*
Feb. 17 43 29 Trace
On Sunday night the first quarter moon appears high in the eastern sky after sunset. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Taurus and near the star cluster Pleiades. Also called Seven Sisters, the Pleiades is a small star cluster that is easy to spot; it looks like a tiny dipper and is not much bigger than the moon.
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.