Anyone else do any nighttime wildlife watching?

[NNN0LHI]

My wife and I have discovered that after dark in the cool of the evening, during the summer when it is hot during the day to do much, nighttime wildlife watching can be a hell of a lot of fun. We can find some really neat critters just walking in the grass with a good spotlight. Tree frogs, snakes, spider, and a multitude of different sized, shaped and colored toads. Seen big huge intimidating looking beetles that I had no idea lived around here.

The dogs really like walking at night too. Its a much more calmer and serene time to walk with them. No distractions usually.

If you have never tried doing this I highly recommend it.

We both look forward to the evening around here. We named the biggest and most colorful toad we found Sonic. My grandsons catch bugs and feed them to him. My grandson have named them all.

Don

[LWolf]

1. Yes and no.

It's hard to do actual "nighttime" wildlife watching this time of year; the days are so long that the sky is lightening up at 4:30 in the morning, and is still somewhat light at 10 pm.

Dawn and dusk, though, the critters are active. I don't have to go far. I can sit on my deck and watch them. A simple walk across my 6 acres nets frogs, toads, snakes, owls, deer, a raccoon or fox now and then, rabbits, both jack and cottontail all over the place...

[NNN0LHI]

3. About the latest it gets dark here is about 9:00 PM so we get an early start

Some nights depending on moonlight it is really dark. Other nights the moon lights up everything pretty good all night.

I had my spotlight on a fox the other evening for about ten minutes and neither the dog I was walking or the fox acted like they were overly worried about about the presence of each other. Almost like they had a truce. I was waiting for my dog to go crazy but she never did? My dog and I were only 20 feet away from the fox and they both stayed calm. They both just sat down and looked at each other.

I was amazed.

I like the night.

Don

[Curmudgeoness]

2. I love evening/night wildlife forays. Every night I do a "bat watch"

where I go out to watch bats flying overhead at the same time I am checking out the fireflies. Then over to a car lot where the nighthawks love to catch insects drawn by the lights. But all I can say it this opossum playing dead thing hasn't been the case for me. They stand their ground and hiss at me. Very intimidating.

[jpak]

4. Last night I had 2 barn owls hissing at me fram the trees - and a full moon too

and I have game cameras - lots going on araund here at night!

[Raschel]

7. I had three barred owls hissing at me - and this was in the daytime!

My dog doesn't care when he sees deer, but when he saw the owls he growled.

After two of them flew closer to us and landed, I decided they didn't look too nice.

Got home and found out online that they WILL divebomb you. Glad we left!

[Warpy]

5. Yes, back in Boston, on my way home from work at midnight

I lived in Jamaica Plain, near the arboretum, and would see raccoons, possum, skunks, and other nocturnal critters waddling down the street or investigating trash cans. One particularly enormous raccoon loved to pop out of a trash can when I got close and chatter at me.

During the day, it was mostly squirrels and chipmunks along with the local feral cat population. Night was a completely different story.

[Brickbat]

6. I turn on my trail cam at night and shot a couple wolves this spring. At this time of year, much of

the wildlife moves back up on the ridgeline and we don't get much action. Bats, foxes, and deer are about it. But in the fall, winter, and early spring, we can see a lot, as well as go tracking in the snow.

[EFerrari]

8. I do, every night, sometimes at twilight but more often after dark.

I don't know, though, Don. One of these nights I'm going to be stopped by a snake or a tarantula and that will be it for me.

The neighbor on the next hill has cocks. So I can always tell when there are coyotes or foxes or owls hanging out because his place goes nuts. We used to have a lot of ground squirrels here and then they disappeared. But the other day I saw one so maybe the bastards are just plotting among themselves behind the scenes.

The bats are cool but I can't tell what kind they are. There's an owl that hangs out sometimes on top of the pg&e pole and sometimes in the low brush.

I don't know who all hangs out here but they're all getting squeezed up higher by the development below us so we get a lot of travellers and I bet, half of them at night. :thumbsup:

[NNN0LHI]

10. Nice way to spend some nice relaxing time isn't it?

Its like everything slows down.

Peaceful.

Happy 4th of July and take care and see you later.

Stay safe, and don't let no firecrackers go off in your hands.

Don

[EFerrari]

11. We did okay. On the hill behind the house

we have a view of the Santa Clara valley, north to Sunnyvale or so, and south to beyond San Jose, west to the Santa Cruz range. The whole place was lit up for hours. Nobody managed to start a grass fire up here which is nice because it's a tinderbox right now.

It was a nice night, not too warm and the older dog is too deaf to freak out any more. The things you learn to appreciate! lol

[bvar22]

9. Skunks, Possums, and Coons.

Unfortunately, they are all trying to get into the Chicken House.
Its not quit as bad now as it was in early Spring.

I generally sit outside on our hilltop at sunset, where I can watch our chickens go to roost, and have a decent view of the valley opening to the south.
Its very pleasant this year...not many mosquitoes or gnats...too dry.
I am usually joined by our two mousers.
I enjoy their company, especially since I am practically deaf, and they will show me where anything makes the slightest noise.

Lots of lightening bugs this year.