birding-aus

Cicadas in April?!

To: Allan Richardson <>, Ashwin Rudder <>
Subject: Cicadas in April?!
From: Charles Hunter <>
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:47:54 -0700 (PDT)
Hi Allan,
 
I heard cicadas this week in Bronte which I thought was unusual.
 
They were Black Prince tom thumbs.
 
I usually get excited in late August / September when I first hear them as it 
means summer is coming to Sydney (generally, the tom thumbs come out first in 
the season before their bigger cousins).
 
Cheers,
Charles Hunter
 

________________________________
From: Allan Richardson <>
To: Ashwin Rudder <> 
Cc: birding-aus <> 
Sent: Saturday, 13 April 2013 3:30 PM
Subject: Cicadas in April?!
  

Hi Ashwin,

Can't answer all your questions directly, but I think you questions are 
pertinent to birds, since cicadas are an important food source for some 
migratory species (Dollarbirds for instance) and insects are after all a big 
part of the reason birds migrate.

In extension to that I'm wondering if it might be respective extensions to 
arrival and departure dates of migrant birds, as dictated by insect 
availability, that may be some of the key indicators of climate change at work 
in temperate regions.

Interesting to know if cicadas in the tropics have extended breeding periods 
over temperate species otherwise climate change may not have an effect here?

Just this week I heard a cicada starting to sing in the Gunnedah area and 
thought how unusual it was. Has anyone else had a similar experience lately or 
are we the only two?

Allan Richardson
Morisset NSW

On 12/04/2013, at 2:59 PM, Ashwin Rudder wrote:

> I have just found a Green Grocer Cicada nymph (fully developed) awkwardly
> wandering around my backyard looking for somewhere to shed its shell. I
> cannot recall having ever recorded a Green Grocer outside of summer in our
> area (Sydney, inner-west to be precise), and April is very late in general
> for a cicada to be emerging isn't it? Can anyone suggest why it might have
> decided now was the right moment to look for a mate?
> 
> Apologies to those who believe this is an inappropriate forum to be raising
> this, but given birders tend to be much more aware of the natural
> environment than others I know I felt some might have something to share on
> the topic.
> 
> Cheers,
> Ashwin
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