It’s not that unusual to see wild turkeys in our area, with several sightings over the last few years. Most of them hang out at Bartram’s Garden, but some venture out into West Philly neighborhoods from time to time. One was spotted today at The Woodlands Cemetery at 40th and Woodland. Check out their video in the tweet below:

Turkey Tuesday here at The Woodlands. 🦃 @WestPhillyLocal @WPhillyTurkey #turkeytakesatour pic.twitter.com/21UCqi6tx4

— The Woodlands (@woodlandsphila) March 21, 2017

The final Nature Night of the season is taking place this Thursday (Aug. 25) at The Woodlands (40th and Woodland), and it will be a Bat Night/Moth Night double feature event since July’s Nature Night was cancelled due to rainy weather. The Nature Night will run from 6 – 10 p.m. This is a great chance to visit the cemetery grounds after dark (the gates usually close at 6 p.m.), explore the mystery surrounding bats and learn why moths are cool.

The Academy of Natural Sciences and the Sewall Lab of Temple University will be onsite providing bat and moth education, and well-known West Philly business Lil’ Pop Shop will be selling sweet treats. In addition, kids can get creative with University City Arts League. Feel free to bring a picnic!

This event is FREE and open to the public. For more information, visit: http://woodlandsphila.org/events-calendar/naturenight2016.

Another great chance to spend time outdoors and enjoy nature is coming up this Friday (June 24) when The Woodlands kicks off its Nature Nights series with a Firefly Night.

Pack your picnic and flashlights and come to The Woodlands (40th and Woodland) from 6-9 p.m. for a chance to spend some after-dark time inside the gates, which usually close at dusk, and learn more about urban ecosystem and the creatures who call it home.

Tangle Movement Arts is performing a free firefly inspired show, and University City Arts League will be back again this year with fun crafts for families. Lil’ Pop Shop will also be back with their colorful truck and sweet treats.

The event is free and open to the public. More details are available on the The Woodlands’ website and Facebook.

Also, check out these Nature Nights scheduled for this summer:

Bat Night – Go on a bat walk after hours on Thursday, July 28, 6-9 p.m.

Moth Night – Look for moths after dark at The Woodlands on Thursday, Aug. 25, 7-10 p.m.

Courtney Douds, a falconer living in West Philadelphia, is looking for her missing bird, a red-tailed hawk (pictured). The bird lived behind a row home in an outdoor aviary, and sometime on Sunday her tethers broke and she flew out.

“While she is fully capable of surviving in the wild, I am predictably distraught,” Courtney wrote in an e-mail. “The bird is a red-tailed hawk, and she’s wearing very loud bells (that don’t interfere with her ability to catch food for herself) that can be heard from quite a distance away.”

So if you hear bells above you or see a red-tailed hawk wearing bells please let Courtney know of the bird’s general whereabouts. Please don’t try to catch the hawk, Courtney says, and it’s unlikely she will come down to anyone. But narrowing down the range of where the bird might have flown to might help Courtney recover her. By the way, Courtney is one of three falconers living in Philadelphia County.

If you spot the hawk, please email: courtney.douds[at]gmail.com

If you missed the incredibly colorful sunset last night check out the photos below. What we witnessed is rare mammatus clouds (sagging pouch-like structures, an indication that a severe thunderstorm has passed) lit up by the Northern Lights (Aurora borealis). The color of the sky changed from yellow to orange to red to purple within minutes.

“People throughout the city stopped to witness the incredible sunset post storm. Cars were pulled over. Photographers were lined up the Walnut Street Bridge. Pedestrians on camera phones were snapping the incredible evening hues. The best way to describe the sunset? Mystical.” – Photo and quote by reader Veronica Alvarez

By the way, there will be another chance to see the Northern Lights tonight. Here‘s some more information.

A popular summer event series will return to The Woodlands Cemetery grounds starting this Thursday. People of all ages are invited to spend the evening inside The Woodlands searching for amazing little creatures – fireflies! The Firefly Night will take place from 6 to 9 p.m., and is absolutely free. Here’s more information from The Woodlands:

“Learn about the amazing ways that animals (including fireflies) communicate and attract mates with educators from The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Fancy feathers, crazy calls, and delightful dances make life pretty “colorful” for all kinds of animals during the quest to meet the perfect mate. Investigate how many creatures use special displays and signals to attract the right partner. Dig deeper, and get creative to learn other ways that fireflies and other animals are cool, and make a craft you can take home!”

In addition to fireflies, Mister Softee will be on site this Thursday to offer frozen treats to the visitors. Guests are also welcome to pack a picnic. And don’t forget to bring your flashlight!

Two more Nature Nights will be held at The Woodlands this summer: Bat Night on July 23 and Moth Night on August 20, both from 6 – 9 p.m.  Please visit The Woodlands website for more information.