On a cool and very blustery day I found this cicada sheltering on a rock in the garden.
It has been a dull season so far for these familiar summer companions here in New Zealand.
As my A.W.B Powell’s “Native Animals of New Zealand” tells me: “On a hot summer’s day the air seems to crackle with the volume of sound produced by hundreds of these insects singing together.”
First edition published in 1947. This copy published 1961
The sound of cicadas has been missing, in the main, this season with so many windy days and cooler temperatures. Perhaps there will be a late run of the cicada chorus.
And for a humorous quote about cicadas please visit my post here.
And for a fascinating piece about the star Sirius and traditional Maori beliefs check out this post and the comments.
ordinarygoodness 
Fascinating information about cicadas on your second link Lynley. Thanks, and your close up photos are very good. I find myself wondering about a macro lens when I see your great results, but I guess I’d have to get another camera.
It is interesting to learn more about cicadas isn’t it Juliet? This photo came out very well. My camera is a Fuji Finepix A600 and I have to switch it to Macro. It pays to have a good look at the camera to see what features it might have. It is a great feature on what is a pretty basic “point and shoot”.
We’ve heard cicadas in our garden this year, which is unusual. I love your colourful photo of one.
The photo did come out very well Ruth. They have some delightful colours on them. I’m glad someone is hearing the cicadas.
I have been hearing cicadas lately. Some days they have been very noisy. But I really laughed when I saw your post because, just before our dinner, our cat had a play with a cicada which ended badly for the cicada and not so well for the rest of us either. The cat ate the cicada, came inside when I wasn’t looking, then regurgitated her meal plus cicada on the kitchen floor. Charming! Put me off my dinner. This site doesn’t say when Sirius appeared in the sky but it is definitely there.http://www.carterobservatory.org/whats-up-in-space
I’m glad the cicadas are somewhere. Hmmm yes cats and cicadas and the end result…..I know the cleaning up of such deposits very well. No sky watching here with such ghastly weather around right now:-((
It does sound bad. Our day has been quite good.
The old book looks very reliable and useful.
We had this book when I was a child. My Dad would help me look up our “finds”. His love of things from nature he passed on to me:-) I snapped up this copy for my children from a Wellington Public Library book sale:-)
Well done!
So that’s what they look like….giant bluebottles!
This one was a real beauty. I’m glad you’ve seen a great specimen.