Cicada Invasion
Check out the Photo Album!
We've had front-row tickets to the 2008 Brood XIV Cicada invasion, as they've been emerging from the earth around our house, climbing in nymph form up our trees and fence-posts, and then emerging as adults in the morning. The sound of their singing during the day is eerie but sort of soothing--although I suppose if that was happening all around our house it might be a little harder to take. (90 decibels?!) Fortunately they seem to be singing a ways down the road.
Anyway, I've got some great pictures, both of the nymphs (taken at night, with a flash) and the adults as they wait in the morning for their shells to harden before they fly away. Check out my Cicada Photo Album, complete with commentary.
Oh, and the other day I mentioned here that Donna was feeding these things to our pheasants, and I got a link from Boston news-blog Universal Hub. How cool is that? Hopefully some of those guys will come back for a look at the pictures...
I'm here from the Universal Hub link...I was dying to see what these guys look like!
Posted by: Jody | June 12, 2008 at 09:43 AM
me too. i came here via Uhub.
the pictures are amazing. wow.
17 years in the ground... it's amazing what nature does.
Posted by: christine | June 12, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Nate, my friend's lab was eating the bugs. Well, first he tossed them around a bit to tenderize them, then ate them. The proud lab then promptly came inside to give doggie kisses to my friend. Ick!
Posted by: Rebecca | June 12, 2008 at 12:23 PM