Late in the afternoon just before sunset, I feed up the old dog and then take him out for one last walk about the hillside. Mr. PJ does his business while I observe whatever critters are busying themselves in the nearby bushes. When he is ready, we make our way back up the hill and he gladly climbs on his bed. There he will stay all snug until morning. This routine has become so ingrained in the old dog's brain that he lets me know when feeding and walking time has arrived. I had better not miss either!
This afternoon, we also ventured into what used to be the garden. Now the area sits barren while it awaits the planting of a fall garden. Just as the sun was starting to set behind the pines, a lone dragonfly flitted past my head. The critter lit on the dead twig that was caught up in the fence line. This dragonfly seemed to be going to bed much like Mr. PJ does. There was a little bit of twitching and turning before it found just the right spot to spend the night. As I was watching, it occurred to me that I have never seen a dragonfly hunt at night. They all seem to settle in on some twig and spend the night resting. But then, I have never gone out dragonfly hunting at night to see just what they actually do "after hours".
The idea of a sleeping dragonfly made me do a bit of research and my hunch was correct. Other than some dragonflies becoming disoriented due to bright lights, the critters spend the night resting. Occasionally, they may shift positions on a twig or flee if a predator comes too near but they are usually diurnal. Rest easy, Little Dragonfly, rest easy. Tomorrow, you will have a full day of hunting so get all the rest you can!
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!
