Spring nights

I'd scheduled a spring full moon hike for April 6, not realizing that it was Good Friday (so maybe not such a good time for Christian observers), but then again, it may be a lovely evening to connect with nature and spirit.

A previous (almost) full moon

The warm season in the Southern U.S. --spring, summer, and fall-- is magical with night sounds.  Insects and frogs (of many species) are the primary players in the nocturnal symphony, with birds punctuating the transition from dusk to dark, and perhaps some of the night flying birds (such as owls) will be calling out.

The exceptionally warm winter and early spring means that the nocturnal symphony is playing earlier than normal.  Enjoy!

(This is a duplicate post from my blog, Natural Gardening).  Here's a link to previous posts about night sounds, with some excellent resource links. 

Evening stars and planets

It was a perfect evening for a walk in the Garden. The cooler than normal weather subdued the insect and amphibian songsters, but we enjoyed nice temperatures, clear air, and good company. As a group of adults, we were able to (quietly) explore the Garden's forest, look at wildflowers, and listen to birds, as light faded to dusk and then dark.

As we finished our walk, the stars started appearing, along with an incredibly bright planet to the southwest.

We puzzled about the orientation of the Garden (hmm, I'm great with directions and spatial remembrance but have trouble with knowing which direction is north, south, or elsewhere).

This Google Earth view shows our orientation!

Coming home, the moon was huge and luminous, remarkable for spring.

Poking about on the web, I discovered that Mars was our mystery planet.

This from Stardate Online:

This Week's Stargazing Tips

April 28, 2010 The brightest stars of Libra stretch to the upper left of the Moon as they rise in late evening. The closer one is Zubenelgenubi, while the more distant one is Zubeneschamali.

April 29, 2010 Mars stands high in the southwest at nightfall and looks like a bright orange star. As it drops toward the horizon after midnight, its celestial "rival" climbs into view in the southeast: Antares, of Scorpius, the scorpion, whose name means "rival of Mars."

A spring night hike

A spring night hike found us listening to early crickets, tree frogs, the final songs of resident cardinals, mockingbirds, and chickadees. It was a mild evening, a bit humid, but with signs of spring all around. There were more family groups this time (this is school spring break), and more than I expected (~ 40 people).

A couple of highlights were watching bats swoop around catching insects, and the flashes of lightning 'bugs' high in the oak-hickory forest. It's really early for lightning bugs; the warm weather probably encouraged them.

(This post first appeared on Natural Gardening).