Last night I loaded the rugrats in the vehicle and we went for a late night run on the back roads near some area lakes and wetlands. We do this periodically to listen to the insect, bird, and amphibian calls at night, so we can identify what critters are present.
Keep in mind we are deep into a second year of drought, that we have sustained weeks of temperatures above 104 degrees, spiking at times between 112 and 114 degrees, with night time temperatures, up until lately, in the high 90s--like 96 to 99 degrees at 10 pm, sometimes cooling off to 84 at sunrise.
The grass is so dry here, that it hurts to walk on it, literally. I go barefoot, and I know. It's crispy and unyielding, and dry as a bone. There is about 2 inches of leaf fall on my acreage because the trees are so deeply distressed that even those that survive are going dormant early. Many trees did not survive last year's drought, and line some roadways for many yards like deep fried sticks crisping in the hot dry air.
Last night was supernaturally quiet. Normally this time of year, the cicadas and the katydids and the frogs are so loud that you cannot step outside to talk on the phone. And sitting outside with your friends for a beer, results in everyone trying to talk over the cacophony. Insanely loud is the only way to describe it.
Because we did get some rain earlier this year, that discordant insect music was with us for a time. But it has ended too soon. Which explains something I saw yesterday while the sun was still up. I saw rows of birds gathering on the power-lines as if to migrate. Something you wouldn't normally see until late September.
I saw flocks of egrets in formation, their arrows forming in the sky, they are leaving.
Why?
Because the bugs have died. Last night was eerily quiet. There were some spots where insects were calling, but for the most part, it was silent. No birds, no or very few insects, and no or few amphibians.
No bugs = no food. And if the bugs are gone, then that means their local population has been declining quickly for the past couple of weeks [which aligns with the extreme high heat].
Monarchs should be making their way here now. I sometimes see one or two out there. But where will they get their nectar? Where will they have to lay their eggs? The people who have flower gardens- heads up, you might be all these butterflies have this year.
So many of our indigenous wildflowers bloomed all at once this season.
I just washed my horseless carriage, and last night there were no bugs smeared on the windshield. We were driving in rural areas near lakes that still had some water in them. I should need a squeegee to get the gunk off.
I stopped to put fuel in this conveyance, and there were only a couple of lonely moths, near bright lights in the parking lot that should have been covered with insects, and last night while closing the chickens up, I saw a smallish June Beetle.
I have been finding many dead cidadas, the chickens and turkeys and skunks have been feasting on their little carcasses. We saw a small skunk, a baby last night on the roadside feeding on a large cicada near some tall weeds. I stopped on this lonely road and shined my headlights on the skunk so the kids could get a good look. The baby looked like the body could fit in the palm of my hand.
We heard some cricket frogs way way off in the distance. I heard one wood house toad call for a moment. No Bullfrogs. We might have heard some tree frogs, but are not sure. They sounded so far away. They might have been on the other side of the lake.
We saw NO bats. On the way home, driving by a wetland area, we did see one dead frog on the road. It was not in a place where I could stop and flip it over to identify it--my guess is that it was a leopard frog. It was probably looking for water and food. It was wetter on the side it's body was pointing at. We listened there as well and heard no frogs or toads.
Our Grey Tree Frogs are absent in our yard. We have looked for them now for 3 weeks. I am hoping they are hiding in our garden that get's watered regularly.
Since the rescue of the baby cotton tail, we have been seeing dead cotton tails on the roads all around. I think that they might be starving and looking for water as well. I have collected several dead Bumble Bee Specimens, the flowers that bloomed so early are just about gone. I have some wild sunflowers that are still going, but I don't know if there are enough of them in this area to provide the resources needed.
I manufactured a 5 gallon feeder for my bees, and the carpenter ants immediately found it. So it's covered with honey bees and carpenter ants. I saw some little wasps on it too. I intend to make another with richer food in it.
It has cooled off a lot. The days lately have only been in the high 90s. One day [Sunday] was up to 103. And at night it's been getting cool like it should. Some of the plants and trees have perked up as a result. But for the bugs and frogs, and birds, it was too little too late. Or so it seems right now in this eerie silence. We are hoping that some rain will hit us soon. There are some chances for that today. I saw the mackerel clouds that can signify a front. Sunday there were cirrus clouds that were iridescent which is unusual for this time of year as well. We normally see that in winter and very early spring. I am hoping that was a sign of a major frontal boundary making it's way to this area, bringing moisture with it.
It feels like October. And it's not even September yet. But then March felt like May this year.
These past two years have been weirder than usual, even by our standards.
On a happier note, the bluebirds, mocking birds and hummingbirds are all in our yard, going to the feeding stations we put up for them.
8:06 AM PT: FYI--Mutant Butterflies found at Fukushima.
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/...
Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 9:54 PM PT: Some stories about the weather: Forecasters predict Big Winter
Americans Tell their Drought Stories:
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/...
Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 10:04 PM PT: Amid Drought, Hummingbirds get human help.
http://www.cbsnews.com/...
And This Year's Drought Could Disrupt the Hummingbird Migration:
http://www.cbsnews.com/...
Recipe for hummingbird feed: I part sugar, 3 parts water--for example: I cup of sugar, and 3 cups of water, gently heated until the sugar dissolves. Then place it in a container to cool it in the fridge, because you don't want the birds to burn their throats or delicate tongues. You can get very inexpensive feeders at dollar type stores if you are very poor but still would like to contribute to their success this season.