Song of the Treetops

  The Bayou is buzzing!  Literally.  While we normally have about ten thousand frogs of all types chirping, croaking and burping in the ponds and waters of the Bayou, itself, now we are being inundated by cicadas!  Both day and night are noisy!  It is fine by me as I love hearing the cacophony put up by critters.  Those sounds mean the area is free of intruders.  Have you ever noticed that the critters of an area are suspicious of any unusual presence so much to the fact that they immediately go into watch mode.  They will sit quietly watching...ever watching.  The only ones that fly into panic mode are the members of the (daytime) Critter Neighborhood Watch Clan.  Blue jays will scream their heads off if anything is deemed to be a threat.  My Bayou is highly protected in one way or another.

  Back to the cicadas, though.  Each morning, hundreds more of the critters can be seen trying to stiffen their wings on gate posts, trellises, tree trunks or my arm.  The other day, one lovely critter decided that I was a likely spot to hang while the wings strengthened to flight readiness.  I did not mind as the critter simply held on tight as I did my early morning chores.  Then, about ten minutes later, it took flight to the hickory tree where it will sing its lovely song.  

  This morning, cicadas seemed to be everywhere.  I had to be careful where I stepped and what I did lest I smashed one.  A lot of these cicadas are incredibly large!  They live most of their lives underground but will emerge, morph into flying insects and will live four to five weeks in the treetops. There, they sing their songs while seeking a mate.  The female lays her eggs in the oak trees and, after hatching, the larvae drop to the ground and start their tunneling.  Cicadas are truly amazing creatures!  How nice that they charm our area with their presence and their songs.