Two weeks since my last post, more beautiful browns: blooming grasses, gone-to-seed goldenrods, scrub oaks. A few leathery mahogany viburnum leaves and maroon hypericum stragulatum, St. Andrew’s Cross. A shock of color from huckleberry and bayberry, and a sliver of sheep laurel. Some green will be with us all winter, like the hollies and the cedars.
Oaks are usually the last deciduous trees in Nantucket to lose their leaves. Even half of the scrub oak leaves are down. There is the fingerprint of the wind on the oaks; those exposed to the wind in high places or facing the northwest have lost their leaves. Those close to the ground or in protected spots still cling to theirs.
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| Norwood Oak |
Our winter birds are back: we saw all three scoters with the birding group today, and buffleheads, wigeons, ruddy ducks. Ginger and Louis saw Harlequin ducks off the erosion control viewpoint yesterday! Brant are at Madaket.
Jupiter rules in the clear night skies.The sun now rises far to the south, and will continue heading that way til the Solstice. We are entering meteorological winter, the three months of shortest daylight.
October was very dry, with a mean temperature of 58 degrees, and average wind speeds of 9.9 mph and 2.03 inches of rain. During my last visit, Almanac Pond was completely dried up. Last year October's mean temperature was 58.2, wind at 10.9 mph and 7.66 inches of rain. In 2021 the mean temperature was 59.9, average wind speed 11.3 mph and there was 5.1 inches of rain.
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| First Light November 12 5:55 am |
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| Sunrise 6:25 am |
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| November 11 |
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| Stump Pond |