The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone. . As the sun sets, many animals prepare to sleep for the night…and others are just waking up. , Theses two “shifts” help predators avoid competing with each other for food and space. While we are at home sleeping, night time at the Slough is full of activity. Look for clues as to what happened here last night., Sunset signals the time for White Ibis to return to their rookery to roost., Night Herons have excellent night vision. They feed in the evening so as not to compete with other wading birds., A single bat can gobble up to 3,000 insects in one night! Dragonflies spend their larval stage underwater. To become an adult, they crawl up a stem and shed their old skin and emerge with wings. This usually happens at night to avoid predators that are active during the day., Yellow-crowned Night Heron , Alligators mainly hunt and feed at night when the water temperature is above 73^oF. During cold spells they seldom eat., Frogs choruses can almost be deafening at times. What are they “singing” about? The male are calling to set up territories and to attract females., Barn Owl , Owls feathers have soft edges which helps muffle the sound of their flight., Zebra Longwing butterflies gather in the late afternoon to roost for the night. They may form groups of up to 60 individuals., Many animals like alligators, turtles, and raccoons move from pond areas to dry land using well worn trails. Look for the animal signs on your walk., Bobcats are shy and secretive. You’re more likely to see their signs, such as scat (droppings) rather than the animal itself., Moonflowers open at night and are white to attract attention in the dark. Their nectar is found deep inside. Moths that come up sip, like this. Sphinx Moth, have an extremely long “tongue” or proboscis., Most birds perch to sleep at night. They don’t fall over because they have special tendons in their legs that lock their toes in place.