Nature & Science
Our adventures in Botswana will have to wait for next week as the birds take precedence.
Bird Sightings:
We appear to have a new early record for the sighting of an osprey over the Island. Will and Sue Geresy of Chappaquiddick spotted a very high flying osprey over Poucha Pond on Chappaquiddick on March 1. The bird was heading north and the Geresys heard the bird call once as it flew by.
Birds are changing their winter ranges as a result of climate change. Average temperatures in January have increased more than five degrees Fahrenheit in the continental United States between 1966 and 2005, and the ranges of many species of birds in the early winter have shifted northward.
By Lynne Irons
Thank you so much — you know who you are — to all the callers willing to give me information about locating peanut seeds. Honestly, it is humbling to think you are all out there reading this. What I don’t know about gardening is a lot. I do make up for it in enthusiasm and love of the subject.
The brightest planet in the western sky is about to dramatically shift its place in the heavens. You have seen it if you have been outside after sunset. Venus is a spectacle, the brightest “star” in the sky.
The Vineyard is an ideal place for stargazing, and of course comet-gazing. The skies are dark, and unlike in urban and suburban areas on the mainland, light pollution is not a problem.
Comet Lulin is fast-moving. Last week, the comet resided in the zodiacal constellation Virgo. This week it resides in Leo and next week it moves into Cancer. That is a lot of space to cover.
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Feb. 20 47 23 .00
Feb. 21 32 27 .00
Feb. 22 40 27 .00
Feb. 23 42 28 .23
Feb. 24 37 20 .00
Feb. 25 36 23 .00
Feb. 26 40 24 .00
Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 41º F.
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.