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August 16, 2007 - The songs of summer nights1CA • The News- Review • August 16, 2007 NeW`: Review photos by Paul Stoutenburgh Left: Most everyone knows the call of the katydid. On hot summer evenings with the bedroom window open the 'Katy -DID, Katy - DIDN'T' will lull you to sleep or, If too close, keep you awake. Above: On the left is an adult cicada that has just emerged from the shell it was in during the nymph stage. The nymph dug itself out of the ground and attached its shell to the tree so the transformed adult cicada could climb out. The songs of summer nights I'd forgotten to shut the chickens up last night so I got up out of my comfortable bed, slipped on a pair of shoes and headed out. The air had a bit of relief from its record- breaking temperatures and humidity. I found the late - evening air quite invigorat- ing. There was a symphony of insect sounds, calls and trills impossible to describe with words. FOCUS Amongst the songsters of the ON night was the NATURE all-green katy- did_ whose by Paul call, "Katy-DID, StOUtenbUrgh Katy- DIDN'T;' is probably the most recognized of all. It's a sound of the summer night for both young and old. Sleeping with your windows open, you can hear their calls as you fall off to sleep. As we sat outside earlier in the eve- ning I was able to see one or two bats working over the pasture. Their erratic flight told me they were having good luck in catching flying insects I put up two bat boxes in hopes of entic- ing bats to take up residence in these spectrally designed houses, but so far the only action I've had are the house sparrows who are baffled by the bat box, which has no bottom. In the meantime, as I headed back toward the house after closing up the chickens, I noticed the blinking lights of the lightning bugs, or fireflies, that dotted the darkness. They start to flicker about dusk, and how they stand out as darkness settles in. The males' flickering lights are an invita- tion to the females to mate. When I was in the service many, many years ago, we had to stop at an Australian outpost in New Guinea, where I saw lightning bugs on a bush that flashed in unison. It reminded me of Christ- mas trees back home. During these hot August days we have been listening to the high - pitched calls of the cicadas, or, as many miscall them, locusts. The nymph has been in its underground quarters where it has lived on the Z AV We don't usually think of grasshoppers singing, but they are an integral part of the daytime and even nighttime sum- mer sounds we hear. They are often detrimental to crops. juices of roots for various lengths of time, depending on the species. Then a mysterious calling to mate occurs, and the nymph digs an exit tunnel to the surface and emerges When it emerges it must first shed its nymph skin. It does this by climb- ing a tree or twig where it can attach its shell so it can work its way out. The abandoned skin or shell, which can be seen below the cicada, remains cling- ing to the bark of the tree and the new, adult cicada, which most of us are familiar with, emerges. The call you hear in the treetops in July and August is what it's all about. Only the males produce the cicada's distinctive sound. Once mating takes place, the male cicada's job is done and he dies. After mating the female cuts slits into the bark of a twig and deposits her eggs there. She may do so repeatedly until she has laid several hundred eggs. Then she dies. I'm sure some of you have come across the dried up body of a cicada on your lawn or in your driveway. As young boys, we'd always find one or two during the summer. We'd take the dry cicadas and scare the girls with them by putting them down the back of their shirts It would be the high- light of our day. There are many species of cicadas; most appear in July and August. They take different times to emerge, some appearing in two to five years, others in 13 to 17 years; each group differs in size, color and song. Cicadas do not do any great damage nor do they bite or sting. Many people around the world regularly add them to their diet; the female is prized particularly for eat- ing, as it is meatier. We don't often think of grasshop- pers as part of the summer symphony of sounds but they are surely part of it during the day and sometimes at night. They conic in all sizes and col- ors; some even the color of sand you might see on the high beach. They can be detrimental to crops, as they once were when the Mormons arrived in Utah. The Mormons were saved by seagulls that arrived and gorged them- selves on the grasshoppers that were devastating their crops So the next quiet night at dusk, take a seat on the back porch, watch for the bats as they fly in to feed, look for the display of fireflies or lightning bugs, and enjoy an evening at the out- door symphony of night sounds e Suffolk Times • August 16, 2007 e sonas of summer nights F O N S don't usually think of grasshoppers singing, but they are an Integral part of the daytime and even nighttime sounds we hear. Thev are often detrimental to cross. V forgotten to shut the chickens last night so I got up out of my nfortable bed, slipped on a pair of )es and headed out. The air had a of relief from its record - breaking iperatures and humidity. I found late- evening air quite invigorat- There was a symphony of insect nds, calls and trills impossible to describe with UG U S Fords. Amongst the N songsters of the night was the A T U R E all -green katy- did ... whose by Paul call, "Katy -DID, toutenburgh Katy - DIDN'T," is probably the most recognized of all. It's a sound of the summer night for both young and old. Sleeping with your windows open, you can hear their calls as you fall off to sleep. As we sat outside earlier in the eve- ning I was able to see one or two bats working over the pasture. Their erratic flight told me they were having good luck in catching flying insects. I put up two bat boxes in hopes of entic- ing bats to take up residence in these specially designed houses, but so far the only action I've had are the house sparrows who are baffled by the bat box, which has no bottom. In the meantime, as I headed back toward the house after closing up lights of the lightning bugs, or fireflic that dotted the darkness. They start to flicker about dusk, and how they stand out as darkness settle's in. The males' flickering lights are an invita- tion to the females to mate. When I was in the service many, many years ago, we had to stop at an Australian outpost in New Guinea, where I saw lightning bugs on a bush that flashed in unison. It reminded me of Christ- mas trees back home. During these hot August days we have been listening to the high - pitched calls of the cicadas, or, as many miscall them, locusts. The nymph has been in its underground quarters where it has lived on the y � u F O N S don't usually think of grasshoppers singing, but they are an Integral part of the daytime and even nighttime sounds we hear. Thev are often detrimental to cross. V forgotten to shut the chickens last night so I got up out of my nfortable bed, slipped on a pair of )es and headed out. The air had a of relief from its record - breaking iperatures and humidity. I found late- evening air quite invigorat- There was a symphony of insect nds, calls and trills impossible to describe with UG U S Fords. Amongst the N songsters of the night was the A T U R E all -green katy- did ... whose by Paul call, "Katy -DID, toutenburgh Katy - DIDN'T," is probably the most recognized of all. It's a sound of the summer night for both young and old. Sleeping with your windows open, you can hear their calls as you fall off to sleep. As we sat outside earlier in the eve- ning I was able to see one or two bats working over the pasture. Their erratic flight told me they were having good luck in catching flying insects. I put up two bat boxes in hopes of entic- ing bats to take up residence in these specially designed houses, but so far the only action I've had are the house sparrows who are baffled by the bat box, which has no bottom. In the meantime, as I headed back toward the house after closing up lights of the lightning bugs, or fireflic that dotted the darkness. They start to flicker about dusk, and how they stand out as darkness settle's in. The males' flickering lights are an invita- tion to the females to mate. When I was in the service many, many years ago, we had to stop at an Australian outpost in New Guinea, where I saw lightning bugs on a bush that flashed in unison. It reminded me of Christ- mas trees back home. During these hot August days we have been listening to the high - pitched calls of the cicadas, or, as many miscall them, locusts. The nymph has been in its underground quarters where it has lived on the Suffolk Times photos by Paul Stoutenburgh t: Most everyone knows the call of the katydid. On hot summer evenings h the bedroom window open the `Katy -DID, Katy- DIDN'T' will lull you to ap or, if too close, keep you awake. Above: On the left is an adult cicada t has just emerged from the shell it was in during the nymph stage. The iph dug itself out of the ground and attached its shell to the tree so the isformed adult cicada could climb ant_ juices of roots for various lengths of time, depending on the species. Then a mysterious calling to mate occurs, and the nymph digs an exit tunnel to the surface and emerges. When it emerges it must first shed its nymph skin. It does this by climb- ing a tree or twig where it can attach its shell so it can work its way out. Th abandoned skin or shell, which can be seen below the cicada, remains cling- ing to the bark of the tree and the new, adult cicada, which most of us are familiar with, emerges. The call you hear in the treetops in July and August is what it's all about. Only the males produce the cicada's distinctive sound. Once mating takes place, the male cicada's job is done and he dies. After mating the female cuts slits into the bark of a twig and ucYwits ner eggs there. She may do repeatedly until she has laid several hundred eggs. Then she dies. I'm sure some of you have come across the dried up body of a cicada on your lawn or in your driveway. As young boys, we'd always find one or two during the summer. We'd take th dry cicadas and scare the girls with them by putting them down the back of their shirts. It would be the high- light of our day. There are many species of cicadas; most appear in July and August. They take different times to emerge, some appearing in two to five years, others in 13 to 17 years; each group differs in size, color and song. Cicadas do not do any great damage nor do they bite or sting. Many people around the world legularly add them to their diet- the icamaie is prized particularly for eat- ing, as it is meatier. We don't often think of grasshop- pers as part of the summer symphony of sounds but they are surely part of it during the day and sometimes at night. They come in all sizes and col- ors; some even the color of sand you might see on the high beach. They can be detrimental to crops, as they once were when the Mormons arrived in Utah. The Mormons were saved by seagulls that arrived and gorged them- selves on the grasshoppers that were devastating their crops. So the next quiet night at dusk, take a seat on the back porch, watch for the bats as they fly in to feed, look for the display of fireflies or lightning bugs, and enjoy an evening at the out- door symphony of night sounds.