Conserve & Prosper

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Cicada cuisine

This morning I took a hike around Harris Park to see if I could see birds eating cicadas. The birds were too high in the trees yet I felt luck that one cicada landed close to me so I could get this photo. According to Vox, two broods emerging together has not happened since Thomas Jefferson was President! The birds have lost interest in our seed feeder with the proliferation of these insects — apparently the males make loud noises to attract females. As a result of the cicada feast, birds will produce more offspring. My neighbor who’s an orchestra leader said the cicadas sound like a rolling high pitched snare drum. Hopefully the noise that’s annoying to us will benefit the ecosystem! Here’s a video of my walk in the woods listening to the cicadas and discovering a wildlife creature.