June 27: Cicadas

[neverspent]

The cicadas are in full wing and voice. After very hot days, when the shadows get long and the sun dips behind the trees, their calls swell. I'm sure I've mentioned before that it's a sound that feels very primeval to me, something you would have heard in the trees long before mammals were anything to speak of on the earth. In modern times, from my balcony above a busy road, they are still louder than the noise of the traffic. They don't drown it out, but they compete healthily, and if I'm in the right frame of mind, I can almost forget for a few minutes that I'm in the city.

Recording of cicadas and traffic noise from my balcony
(link to 2MB .wav download)

Once it's almost completely dark and the bats are flying, the cicadas take a rest and the crickets start to sing.


Giant model cicada in a nature museum