No birds, but lots of cicadas.

[Ross the fiddler]

On a very hot late November's day the birds stayed somewhere cooler out of sight while the cicadas were out in force (another bumper year with the last being 2013).

A 'Yellow Monday Cicada' on a Terpentine Tree (Syncarpia glomulifera).

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

A small crop of the above.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

'Redeye Cicada' on the same tree.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Small crop of the above.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

I'm unsure about this one, but may be 'Black Prince Cicada' (on one of the Eucalypts).

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Small crop of above.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Here's a taste of the sound of them.

All the Australian cicada names can be found here. https://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/...-cicada-names/

All taken with E-M1 II & 100-400 f/5-6.3 lens.

 

[melanieylang]

There is something so primal, to my ear, about the sound of cicadas! Where I live, we don't hear them often, but I feel both excited and a tad apprehensive when they call. Thanks for including the video for sound

 

[retiredfromlife]

We used to call the "red eye" a "black Prince" when I went to school.
Good to see another good year but they don't cover the tree trunks like they used 40+ years ago. I remember we used to fill those coloured net plastic bags you used to buy fruit in and empty a few bags in the class rooms for a bit of fun.

 

[Avondale87]

they certainly make a racket
Great set of photos.
Explosion of the.... Wonder what that means to the crops?

 

[Ross the fiddler]

We used to call the "red eye" a "black Prince" when I went to school.
Good to see another good year but they don't cover the tree trunks like they used 40+ years ago. I remember we used to fill those coloured net plastic bags you used to buy fruit in and empty a few bags in the class rooms for a bit of fun.

Yes, that was a point of confusion for me, but apparently it refers to yet another species (variation). Incidentally, the black redeye comes out looking very pale & then darkens.

 

[John King]

There is something so primal, to my ear, about the sound of cicadas! Where I live, we don't hear them often, but I feel both excited and a tad apprehensive when they call. Thanks for including the video for sound

I just love that sound, Melanie. Like the bees in the callistemon and eucalyptus viminalis in our front yard.

Sounds that date back around 350-400 million years.

 

[Ross the fiddler]

I just love that sound, Melanie. Like the bees in the callistemon and eucalyptus viminalis in our front yard.

Sounds that date back around 350-400 million years.

We were lulled to sleep with them last night (11pm), until there were a few flashes of lightning. They stopped for that.
I know how to silence them at night now (maybe) with my flash, but there were probably rumbles of thunder too.

 

[John King]

They can be a little noisy when their there little minds are on making more cicadas, Ross ... .

 

[Ross the fiddler]

They can be a little noisy when there little minds are on making more cicadas, Ross ... .

Like this? This one looked like it was too much for him.
Took with my my phone on my morning walk.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)