Scarlet Pimpernel

LOL! Yeah, now that you all mention it, the background din does sound like Star Trek phasers!! "Spock...set your cicadas on stun!!"

Many thanks to you both! Yeah, it will be strange with her gone (she will be going to U. MD starting this fall!). Ugh...college loans and paying for that, I've been navigating all that myself lately!!

I hear you on that, Mappy! I feel the same with my daughter...she graduates high school this Friday. No longer little anymore!

Same here! Like I said some time ago, I actually find them kind of fascinating, the whole 17 year life cycle and all that, and emerging by the billions. And the din of the singing I don't personally mind at all, for a couple or so weeks. LOL! Well, if your yellow Lab is yakking them back up, I guess that would be a veto rather than a vote!!!

Pretty cool! I've been recording some of the sounds, too. Have been able to hear it even inside for about the past two weeks...and the past week especially. You might be right about this week being the peak...after a couple of cool and rainy days on Sat/Sun, I noticed a TON of them around this Monday, even compared to the week prior (and the sound was especially loud then too).

Cicadas everywhere!!

I noticed a similar thing with the Cassini having a sort of wax and wane as you put it with the electrical/sizzling/hissing kind of sound. It's actually a bit less "shrill" or loud compared to the Septendecim ones it seems, but I can clearly make out the Cassinis around and in several trees. Interesting about their flying patterns too, that you noted. If I listen closely I can make out the "Phaaaa-rooooh" sound of the Septendecims among the general background din. ETA: I think I heard the Septendecula too the other day, barely...the rotating sprinkler or clock ticking kind of sound (like a "chick, chick, chick, chick" sound).

Ahhh, nice to relax over a good book! It's always nice to improve one's cranium through extensive reading, though who knows how one can read with no actual eyes or optic nerves. A fine drink on the side helps! I see the Reaper took the old Panic Room bar with him into retirement. A fine day for a Sunday drive. No cicadas here! Windows down, no watch list to worry about, no new tombstones to create! Life in retirement is good! Reaper's new job...posing for beach fashion magazines? (and...flip-flops??)

Ha!!! Bravo, and well done!!! All to real, it seems!!

Trees...fire...now what could possibly go wrong?1?!

They are out in force today, all over. And loud. Some plants are just covered with them. Even saw car tires with cicadas (probably not the best place for them to hang out!). I swear I saw a lot of "new" exoskeletons on trees that were not there the other day. I think some new ones have still been emerging. <math geek> Parallel cicadas. </math geek> And a face-off!

I'm sure there are plenty left around for awhile! I thought they typically go into June for a bit.

Was that the year (or was it 1987) that the O's almost went 0-for-April (literally), but managed a win or two to avoid being winless for the month?

That looks very similar to the Weber grill model my brother had for awhile (years ago). Included a side "mini grill" for doing vegetables. Nice!

The "spaceship" has returned! I guess all it took was even just a little bit of sun this morning to get them going again. I'm sure they'll like the much warmer temperatures this week, however many are left around partying.

Could also be any winter-related thread, too, most of the time!

Kinda noticed the same concerning the smell. Have seen many dead cicadas and old exoskeleton shells. I think many of the dead ones are from "failed" molting, but also probably just died and fell out of the trees naturally...or were half eaten by birds, got stepped on, etc. Still a lot around though.

Now who you callin' ugly?!?! Look into my eyes, all five of them...

Yeah I think it's pretty cool, myself! Interesting how the sound comes and goes with the amount of cloud cover, and how by late afternoon or so they call it a day. I would imagine tomorrow and Sunday they'll be far more muted with cooler temperatures and rain. But perhaps they'll start right back up after that. I don't know how much longer they'll go on, but would think given how many I still saw emerging this week, we'll hear them loud and clear through the 1st week of June at least. I think that's the typical time they go on, early-mid June or there about.

I've seen several cicadas flying around (such as it is!)...and birds dive-bombing after them!

Publicly fornicating cicadas! Shock, horror! Someone get these two a room, or a private tree branch, stat!! (or call @ravensrule!)

LOL...funny but upon going outside to get my daughter to school this morning, she said "shut up, cicadas!" She doesn't get why I find them fascinating and thinks it's gross when I pick one up (or "rescue" one from the sidewalk and put it on a nearby tree or bush)!! She was 6 months old when they came out last time in 2004, so obviously wouldn't remember that...and is now 17-1/2 and graduating high school. Kind of an odd symmetry there in a way, and makes me realize just how long a time that is!

Seems it slows down toward the later afternoon, relatively speaking, and then totally stops by evening. They start up early each day...like not long after sunrise or when enough light has come out! It did seem louder today where I'm at, compared to the other day. Cool that you can hear all 3 of the magicicada songs! I've been able to clearly discern two of them (the more abundant "septendecim" and also the "cassini"...but not sure I've heard the "septendecula" offhand).

I haven't seen any of the "flagging" trees yet, I thought that typically appears in a couple of months when the eggs hatch and fall out. But maybe some of the earlier ones are starting to. I saw a lot of that in 2004. Fortunately, it doesn't really harm most trees and in fact (from what I heard) is like a good pruning. But new or smaller trees like fruit trees...could be bad for those (I actually have seen a couple of yards where someone has put up netting around their smaller ones).

Storm rolling in yesterday evening...pretty cool shelf-looking cloud!