Nature Corner: Late Summer Musicals
by Wendy Oellers-Fulmer, 9/1/2026
On these dwindling days of summer, the countryside can be filled with a familiar buzzing chorus of Cicadas. New Hampshire has four types of annual dog-day cicadas. Unlike the famous periodical cicadas whose broods emerge every 13 to 17 years, ours emerge every year.
Cicadas spend most of their lives under the ground. After hatching from eggs, the young cicadas (called nymphs) burrow into the ground, where they will remain for two to five years, nourished by fluids from tree roots. Because their life cycles overlap, a new group will emerge each summer.
When their underground stage of growth is complete, the nymphs climb up a tree, shed their outer skin and emerge as adults with wings.
And now the late-summer concert begins.
The familiar cicada chorus comes mostly from the males who have specialized ribbed membranes on their abdomens called tymbals. Using powerful internal muscles, the males will flex and relax these for up to 120 to 480 times per second, resulting in clicks that produce a continuous humming drone. A fascinating adaptation is that the cicada’s abdomen is mostly hollow, acting as a huge resonance chamber, similar to the body of an acoustic guitar.
The tiny clicks can actually be amplified to reach over 100 decibels. Do you wonder how they keep from deafening themselves? Cicadas have adaptations that protect their hearing.
The male cicadas mainly sing to attract females. And when many cicadas sing together, their combined chorus may also make it more difficult for predators to single out one individual.
So when you hear the unmistakable buzzing from the trees, take a moment to pause and listen to one of the concerts that celebrate late summer.
Nature Corner: The Sounds of Late Summer
by Wendy Oellers-Fulmer, 8/24/2026
Quiet Birds & a Chorus of Crickets
As summer lingers with hot, humid days, the morning songfest of birds has faded. We may see fewer birds in open areas, too. Yet as the birds grow quieter, another familiar late-summer chorus grows louder—the crickets.
Why the Quietude?
- Breeding season is winding down. With less need to attract mates or defend territories, birds have less reason to sing.
- It’s molting season. Many birds are replacing worn feathers, an energy-intensive process that can leave them more vulnerable. Staying quiet and concealed offers protection.
- Natural food is abundant. Insects, seeds, berries and fruits provide a late-summer buffet, so birds may visit our feeders less often.
Why the Cricket Chorus?
- Male crickets chirp to attract females and communicate with other males establishing their territories. They create their distinctive sound by rubbing specialized parts of their wings together; a process called stridulation.
- Temperature changes their tempo. Because crickets are cold-blooded, warmer temperatures speed up their metabolism and muscle activity…and their chirping.
And here’s the fascinating part:
In 1897, American physicist Amos Emerson Dolbear published a formula connecting the rate of cricket chirps with air temperature. It became known as Dolbear’s Law. Count the cricket chirps for 15 seconds and add 40. The answer gives you an approximate temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. So on one of these late-summer evenings, turn off the weather app for a moment and listen. Nature may already be telling you the temperature.
Curious to learn more about Dolbear’s Law? Visit NOAA:
https://www.noaa.gov/education/explainers/can-crickets-tell-temperature-answer-is-in-their-chirp
Nature Corner: A Novel Prescription…Read More Books!
by Wendy Oellers-Fulmer, 8/18/2026
Nature Corner usually focuses on the animals and plants of our natural world. Today, however, we’re turning our attention to another member of the mammal family—humans—and some fascinating research suggesting that a simple habit may actually be associated with a longer life.
Researchers from Yale University studied data from 3,635 adults over the age of 50 and followed their survival for 12 years. This was part of a long-running national Health and Retirement Study. Even after taking into consideration factors such as age, education, health, wealth, marital status and depression, they discovered something remarkable: people who read books had a 20% lower risk of dying during the study period than those who didn’t read books.
Even more interesting, the researchers found that the more people read, the stronger the association. And apparently, not all reading was equal. Book readers showed a greater survival advantage than those who primarily read newspapers and magazines.
Why books?
The researchers suggested that books encourage what they called “deep reading.” To follow a story requires sustaining our attention as we discover characters, follow through plots, make connections, and sometimes relate our reading to our own lives. The study suggests that this type of mental engagement can support cognitive health.
Perhaps the most fascinating statistic of all? At the point when 80% of participants were still surviving, book readers showed a significant survival advantage over non-book readers.
So perhaps one of the easiest health habits is also one of the most enjoyable:
Read more books!
And fortunately for all of us, our local library has shelves and shelves of them waiting to be discovered.
No prescription required…and they’re free!
Source: Bavishi, A., Slade, M.D. & Levy, B.R. (2016). “A Chapter a Day: Association of Book Reading with Longevity.” Social Science & Medicine, 164, 44–48)
Nature Corner: An Eclipse Isn’t Always in the Sky
by Wendy Oellers-Fulmer, 8/11/2026
On a recent birding excursion on the lake, we were thrilled to spot a male Wood Duck along the edge of a small cove. But at first, we weren’t quite sure what we were seeing.
Without the brilliant colors and distinctive plumage we associate with a male Wood Duck, we initially thought it was a female. But its bright red eyes and colorful bill didn’t seem to fit. Perhaps it was a juvenile?
A little research revealed the answer: we had discovered a male Wood Duck in eclipse plumage.
After the breeding season, male Wood Ducks molt, temporarily replacing their spectacular breeding plumage with much more subdued, mottled feathers. During this period, they also molt their flight feathers and are temporarily unable to fly. Their quieter coloring provides valuable camouflage at a time when they are especially vulnerable to predators.
As autumn approaches, another molt will begin, and the male’s remarkable breeding plumage will gradually return—the iridescent greens and purples, bold white markings, and rich chestnut breast that make the Wood Duck one of our most striking waterfowl.
On occasion, an eclipse doesn’t darken the sky. Sometimes, it’s nature’s way of disguising and protecting one of its most colorful birds.
To discover more about these amazing birds: