Human concerts may be on pause, but nature’s music never stops. And that makes for the perfect and safe summer stay-cation — no physical distancing required! Grab a folding chair and your favorite beverage and step out into your backyard to take a listen to the curious chorus of critters happening all around you …
There’s the ubiquitous rhythmic buzz of the cicadas (or chicharras), accompanied by the twitters of grasshoppers and male field crickets, whose chirps pick up the pace the hotter it gets.
If you live near a creek or pond, you may hear the trill of male tree frogs calling from nearby trees and bushes.
But perhaps the most wonderful song of summer nights is a sweet serenade by the Chuck-will’s-widow. This large, nocturnal bird arrives in our area in early April and stays until mid-September.