I spot license plates. I spot license plates on Martha’s Vineyard. The license plates have to be (a) current, (b) mounted on moving vehicles, and (c) either on Vineyard roads or on the ferry going to or from the Vineyard.

Here’s what the map looks like at the end of January.

In order, the January tally: Massachusetts (big surprise), Connecticut, Maine, Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, Virginia, California, Rhode Island, New York, Vermont, D.C., Maryland, New Hampshire, Washington, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota.

18 is slightly below normal for January, but Minnesota, Michigan, and especially Kentucky are good catches for this time of year.

The usual pattern is holding true: New England and the Northeast fill in first, closely followed by the West Coast. Colorado is always an early bird, possibly because Colorado and Martha’s Vineyard both see plenty of seasonal migrants: last summer’s beach bum is this winter’s ski instructor.

Prediction for the coming month: The rest of the Northeast will fill in (Pennsylvania and Ohio), and the Carolinas will show up. So will Oregon. And Texas.