The Night Stalkers

  Things can often take on an entirely different look when viewed at nighttime, late evening or in the wee hours of the morn.  During that time when darkness shrouds the area, even the most common things become mystical.  Bushes can become hulking monsters, moths hovering around light bulbs give strange shadows and flashlights reveal glowing eyes. Camera flashes do much the same.  Things change.  

  A few evenings ago, Mark and I were out a bit later on our hike.  We had lingered longer on the pier than we intended and the walk back up the hill, gave us a chance to experience the strange phenomenon of darkness (or near darkness) vs light.  My camera picked up the glowing eyes of a couple of birds.  We had noticed two fledgling Redheaded Woodpeckers earlier and came across them once again on our return trek.  I had figured it was too dark to photograph them but decided that it could be interesting to try.  Without the flash, it was nigh on impossible to distinguish the birds from the dark bark of a pine tree but that bright light added a good bit of interest.  The white bars on the back of the birds stood out glowingly and the birds' eyes beamed like beacons in the night.  How strange. Wait a minute!  Diurnal birds' eyes are not supposed to glow!  Sure nocturnal critters' eyes glow and owls, whip-poor-wills and nighthawks are all examples of this but diurnal critters lack the reflective quality accounting for the eyeshine.    Diurnal birds lack the tapetum lucidum (reflective layer) in their eyes so why are these woodpeckers' eyes glowing.  (Insert creepy music here!)

  The birds went on their merry way after just two photographs so nothing more could be accomplished by taking pictures in the dark.  I still do not know why their eyes glowed but have chalked it up to the eeriness of nightfall on the Bayou!  Hmmm.....Go to bed, Little Woodpeckers!