This is a great time to look around for animals! Birds, bunnies and snakes that are active during the day are now looking for a good place to sleep. On the other hand, moths, bats, owls and other nocturnal hunters are waking up and getting ready to search for food.
Check out the creek! Creeks are a great place to see wildlife. All living things need water. Notice all the trees and shrubs that grow close to the water. This means shelter, food and water all in one place!
When you walk near the tall grasses you might hear or even see grasshoppers flying around. Look to the north at the light poles across the street. You may find a Swainson's Hawk. Guess what? They can also see the grasshoppers from the pole, and grasshoppers are their favorite treat!
Listen for the cicadas. They produce their sounds from an organ called the tymbal. This organ contracts and relaxes very fast creating a clicking sound.
Take a look at the sky. Is the moon out yet? You will see only 4% of the moon tonight. The shapes of the moon are categorized in phases, and the moon phase tonight is called the waxing crescent. The term "waxing" means increasing, and the term "crescent" means that we can only see a small sliver of the moon. Therefore, the phase is called waxing crescent because the surface area of the moon that you see is increasing and the shape of the moon looks like a thin, curved sliver. It may be challenging to see today because the moon will set at 6:28pm.