Twilight Tours

Join us for our annual Twilight Tours Thursdays May 23rd and 30th, 2013.  Use your ears, not just your eyes, on these special nighttime tours of Seney National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is closed from dusk to dawn, so this tour is a rare opportunity to experience the refuge in the twilight and early evening hours when many animals are active. We will be searching for secretive marshbirds like the yellow rail, Virginia rail and sora. This is also an excellent chance to hear spring peepers, gray treefrogs, green frogs, and American toads. During this tour, it is unlikely that we will see these animals but chances are very good we will hear their calls.

The tour involves several stops where we will get out of the bus, stand and listen for any types of wildlife that may be calling. Tours will start at 9:00 p.m. and end between around 12 a.m. Meet at the visitor center, which will reopen at 8:30 p.m., and come prepared to do battle with mosquitoes and black flies. Head nets, pants, long sleeves, and closed shoes are recommended. Dress in layers as some nights can be quite chilly. We will go even if there is a light rain, so plan accordingly.

Here are some highlights from past tours. We heard sora, Virginia rails, spring peepers, gray treefrogs, American toads, American woodcock, Wilson's snipe, and green frogs. Saw trumpeter swans, common loons, sandhill cranes, ring-necked ducks, and many other species. The refuge truly is different at night.