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Home My WebLink AboutSeptember 04, 2003 - Sounds of summer's slowdown The Suffolk Times • September 4, 2003 O � � � O summer s ow own s _ �� _ �. _ �, , -�� ,�� ,. .��,, �� i� ,�""� � ,„ ',� 4 � M� J�A��. � ` •�D� 4 'N"� ��{�pl ��w �� . , N� i; . , , � . ; _. �N, �'�;, � � - ' � ��, �.. � ti,�4,, � � ;,, � r �. , ., .�, �� „ , -� n,,,� ;. A : ,r rt _�" `,, ,;, ,�,� / , � , � � ,., - , � ;� �'��N t � , u�, �"�� ' � „�° i � ' ? � �� „� N�" � �� ,, ,,, � � � F�! r �N!u�l, v p,� ry, '� ,M��I,rN � � .�..«,.4 M.,u ,�' ' . n�m �� .,�r ' �. i � �X�� ' Nl�f� �� z (��pA�r. � �4 i�ii !� n 7_�._ � �r n � N I�p n�� ,ull� i il�lµ�, . �i ��. � � � ' . i � '�""bs / p, '� / � �� i i I r,l �GM V � nl �ui ,��"�. � � ''� ��1��INr l�r �)y �'�6 � �� "� � �a 4l��i � �,`�'s�� l�y�,�' y,' �i�l � 1 ��Y��'. , � ' �� xu� �,��,ii �l rlN �1�,,,� �� „�� p /� �� -f�, . ��tiupl%r a il��i��i�1�1 r� �ti l lAi ��Uin� i r p( ,,y,•,,�.� u= ^_, '�ar,X� '. � ��1�� I � � '4 �1y F VJ��'�5� , r.�id ,7�� lI �� l %a�� , iinipr�.�i d"� �`�'�"�r v �W �l,' �i r� �� °yp' �µ, � �Y . . �l. .+il,, 'r F ..,, �, �, ,, l.. V C �� l��v Yyl,r,��l rr,� � '��Y��I'�i�'��QJII�I�O��i��3��ir��' 4 ��yy�i� � V�IV ��I ��u/(,, ''� ��;i�'4� � � A'�py"" l�l h r� y �q� ry1�4 t�l �� i�� I I Y;��. ,��,i, ' '"" Above: One of the true signs of summer's ending is the repeat- r�� l, ,,,,�, , ti,�'p��,�� , �„ � '�� ed call of the katydid. On hot humid evenings in late August � �' �'�� "� � �'- �� " the katydid's call joins in with other night sounds to say f��'' � ��' ; 6�„' �"" '"�� farewell to summer. Left: One of the true signs of fall's coming �� , �� r , ��q y� , k t � y�,r�nn�,��.� "�po�� ti ti��l��h� �� ,,� � � � �� , ,� ,,�� , is the annual migration of the monarch butterfly. The best ��y� �� r� .��,� � � �''��,'��ti,ix" � place to see these oran e and black dancers in flight is along �� ' ��,��y��'��'"r��°' ;,, our south shore. If you h�it the right day, there will be a steady ��,�'� parade of thern as they head south to escape winter's cold. �� i � �� ;,� r��r �'/ ( yr� d i uri i4. aN��I�!��'�i�l�, 'd� f,. arc, � � " � "ri,u;F„�. i� ��" � "r'�"il�"';'d n � ,� ;;�,,, � � >. � � �'-' ' 4'i',"� � '��a �,;, ,��,, ,w , �y �� M i�%/ .,. . „M1..;:. .i. Times/Review photos by Paul Sloutenburgh morants that stays aroun an endures winter's wrath,something like our great blue herons that should have gone south but chose to winter IT sEEMs �vFRYwHERE you look, over. And,of course,one of the obvious there are signs that summer is winding flage,its green body blending in per- signs of the season's passing are the down.It's the time when we get the fectly with the green leaves that it bulletin boards in front of the schools hot and humid,sultry days in which lives on.Should the wind shift from announcing when school will start. you can work up a sweat by just being our sultry southwest summer breeze When you read this,school will there.It's these late August days that to the cooler northwest wind,our already be in session.The ball fields bring out the sounds of the woods would become silent as the night.It's the crickets,the noisemakers function only w'ill once again come alive.Soccer will katydids,the cicadas along in the hot humid days of be practiced and played.The tennis F"�CUS courts once again will see flying balls with a host of other evening late summer. Z�p by the top of the net.Field hockey players that make up a sym- �N A close relative of the fields will clatter as sticks collide.How phony of insect sounds.It katydid is the grasshopper, well I remember those early days of was in the height of this cho- NATURE the one that invaded the preparing for school. rus that I went out to close by Paul Mormons out in Utah years probably each of you has your up the chickens just to make Stoutenburgh ago.Hordes of these favorite sign of summer's ending.Of sure Mr.Fox didn't have grasshoppers ate everything all the signs that are out there,I think another chicken dinner. in sight and were going to the one that I like most is the sight of It must have been just about dusk dec�mate the Mormons' food supply. migrating monarch butterflies as they when I headed out.It was the end of rI'hcn,we all know the story,the seag- head south.Actually,here on Long one of those stifling hot days when ulls came in and garged themselves Island they're heading west because there wasn't a breath of air moving. with grasshoppers and saved the day. they have to go the length of Long The stage was set for all the sounds of "I'here are so many signs of summer Island before they start to swing the insect world to be heard.The passing.My garden now finally pro- southward. result was so loud that I had to stop duces tomatoes that I nurtured all I prize these butterflies so highly and listen.Was it my hearing aid that summer long.My problem is that bird that I've planted seven butterfly bush- had been accidentally turned on too such as the catbird enjoy my tomatoes es in my garden,each with its own loud?There was the loud continual also.They peck holes in them so that I buzz of the cicada,as it wound down only get a half a tomato and have to Particular fra rance and color.And only to start up again from another cut away the tattered part.Our road- yes,they do attract butterflies of all location.Then mingled among the side stands have finally brought forth kinds.Whenever I see a butterfly, sounds of the night was the contradic- that delicious sweet corn that seems to w'hether it's a monarch,a swallowtail tory call of the"katydid,katydidn't." melt in your mouth.We've waited all or an admiral,I can't help but think of It came through loud and clear along summer for it. the miracle of endurance these lepi- with various chirps of the crickets and if you go down to the beaches you doptera go through.Weighing less other unknown sounds that came see people trying to get the last bit of than a feather,they seem to float in from the bushes about me.It seemed summer,whether it be swimming or the air in their erratic flight. each one was trying to outdo the sunbathing or,by now,snapper fishing. And as we all know,or should other.These were the sounds we'd go The snappers are still small.They are know,birds don't eat monarch butter- to bed with,and we'd leave the win- ferocious feeders even in their small �1ies,for through the evolution of time dows open to be lulled to sleep. size.I've seen little bunkers about the monarchs have created a distaste- Most of these sounds are produced three inches long being chopped in ful substance in tlleir body so that by insects of one sort or another as half by these young bluefish. when birds grab onto them,they spit they rub one part of their body Our creek still has its osprey hang- them out immediately.Once the les- against another.It's called stridation. ing around.It sits on its platform son is learned,the butterfly goes on The sounds that we hear now come seemingly content with the world. without the threat of being eaten.Its from the old mature insects.In other Most of the other ospreys have left big obstacle in migration is weather. words,in the springtime the eggs that and are leisurely making their way September and October can have were laid the previous fall hatched south.They migrate along the coast as stormy days and nights and this can out.The young katydids then started most hawks do here on Long Island. do them in more than anything else. their lifelong work of eating the leaves From now on we should be seeing Yet they endure,fragile,delicate and they were born on.As time went by long lines of cormorants heading west always seemingly happy moving to they grew and grew until they Those are the blackish-colored ducks their southern destination where matured in late August as adults, that are constantly diving in our bays they'll spend the winter. ready for singing and merry making. and creeks for any kind of fish that And so,we see there are many signs Thc katydid is a master of camou- move.It's interesting to note that each of our summer slipping away;it's all winter there's a small group of cor- part of the big picture of things and we should make the best of these coming days ahead and enjoy nature's shifting of gears into another season of enjoyment.