Martha’s Vineyard naturalists catalog mid-summer butterflies
Last Sunday, July 17, five liberally sunscreened butterfly enthusiasts took to the field for the 12th annual Vineyard Butterfly Count.
A butterfly made for harsh Martha’s Vineyard habitat
The Edwards' hairstreak thrives in the inhospitable environment of the sterile, salty sandplains along the south side of the Island.
Hummingbirds extra plentiful on Martha’s Vineyard this year
Vineyard birders are enjoying a bonanza of hummingbirds this year, but there's no way to know why.
American ladies are beautiful and plentiful on Martha’s Vineyard
With the beginning of June and the end (one hopes) of this year's dismal spring weather, the butterfly season is in full swing on the Vineyard.
Ecological and profitable landscaping on Martha’s Vineyard
You'd probably welcome a thousand-acre conservation project on Martha's Vineyard that didn't cost anything. Impossible, right?
Bird species come and go on Martha’s Vineyard over time
A phrase like "the bird life of Martha's Vineyard" projects a certain grandeur and sense of permanence.
Avian dinner guests on Martha’s Vineyard.
Biologists have a set of terms to describe the various ways different species interact with each other.
Martha’s Vineyard birders look out for vagrant migrants
With spring migration building up steam, Vineyard birders likewise ramp up their birding.
How insects survive Martha’s Vineyard winters
If you think you're glad winter is over, imagine how insects feel.
Below zero freezes up Martha’s Vineyard
Monday, January 24, dawned clear and cold, very cold.
Finches spice up winter birding on Martha’s Vineyard
The depth of winter is hardly prime birding season on the Vineyard, but this season is not without its consolations.
Christmas Bird Count reflects Island bird behavior
The 51st Vineyard Christmas Bird Count (CBC) took place on Sunday, January 2, with about two dozen Islanders and guests participating.
Soltice “” the invisible annual pivot point
Tuesdays lunar eclipse prefaced the solstice "” two powerful reminders that the earth keeps spinning in wonderful, mysterious ways.
Eastern screech-owls on Martha’s Vineyard
Matt Pelikan encourages Vineyarders to step outside on a still, cold night and listen. Chances are they'll hear a screech owl not too far off.
Tale of two oysters
Shellfish of any species ranks among my favorite foods, and oysters on the half-shell rank among my favorite shellfish.
Stream restoration on Martha’s Vineyard
Some of the best-known aquatic features of the Vineyard's "natural" landscapes are not natural at all.
Hawks – grace and ferocity combined
Fall is the prime season for birding on the Vineyard, and while October is generally past the peak of migration, it's our best month for viewing transient hawks.
Natural light shines on Martha’s Vineyard
With surprising regularity, guests at our house in Oak Bluffs walk out onto our deck at night, look up, and exclaim something like, "Wow! I've never seen the Milky Way before!" I don't know which impresses me more: The fact that our humble abode on the fringes of the O.