Winter avian residents arrive and the occasional rare birds move through the Island in December, as winter begins.
Keep up with bird sightings through the Bird News column, and send reports of bird sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.com.
Photography
Cracks in the resolve of winter have shown this week. The temperature has warmed and earlier this week's snow has melted along roadsides and in the shady corners of woodlands. And today is Daylight Saving time.
March 10, 2019
Islanders can take solace from the fact that this dance of one step forward, two back, is the norm and not the exception where this time of year is concerned.
March 5, 2019
It was a gentle snowfall and it arrived Wednesday night through the early morning hours. Other than dustings, no real snow until the last day of February. That's late for the Island, but still this brief storm worked its magic across the Vineyard countryside.
March 3, 2019
The light lingers well past five o'clock now, and the late day sky is streaked with fuchsia punctuated by scudding, slate-colored clouds.
February 24, 2019
A large blocking high over Canada’s Hudson Bay this week displaced the polar vortex southward, pouring the continent's coldest air into New England.
February 23, 2019
The snow storms this winter have been far apart and few, but the Vineyard received a dusting this week.
February 21, 2019
Tuesday night’s full moon, the Snow Moon, rose in perigee in Vineyard skies. You probably wouldn't have noticed by looking at the moon, but the full moon was closer than normal. It was about 221,681 miles away.
February 20, 2019
Resident winter birds are plentiful in February during the stretch between winter and spring, and northbound migrants begin to arrive.
February 20, 2019
New England Newspaper & Press Association award-winning Gazette photos and designs.
February 19, 2019
Shadows linger, trees fall, boats rest easy and homes full of bright colors nestle next to others boarded up for the off-season. The journey of the seasons breathes softly as days grow longer and the chill of one day contrasts with the warmth of another.
February 15, 2019
When the calm of February settles, the woods and the roads, the waterways and the wildlife always seem to speak louder. Walk slowly to any destination with eyes, ears and nose open. The rewards are plentiful.
February 9, 2019
From Chilmark to Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven to Edgartown, small family groups and boisterous bar parties will celebrate Super Bowl Sunday as an annual break from quiet, brittle February.
January 31, 2019
Mild. That is the word to describe the weather this January.
January 24, 2019
A little taste of winter is just about perfect on these still mild January days.
January 24, 2019
Of all the clouds that form around the Island, sea smoke has the briefest season.
January 22, 2019
The Vineyard's many avian winter residents have arrived.
January 22, 2019