MIKE MILLER

It has been a remarkable spring, and now we are moving into what is poised to be a wonderful summer. As the dog days will be soon upon us, it’s a great time to tie up some loose ends from past Nature Rambles and look forward to what the future will bring us …

Cicada search

This year marked the return of 17-year cicadas (Brood XIII) in our part of central Illinois. It also coincided with the return of 13-year cicadas (Brood XIX) further south of us. This synchronized emergence of these two different broods hasn’t happened since 1803. There was a lot of buzz (sorry) on social media touting the plague-like conditions we would have to endure to live through the cicada-apocalypse. The noise of the newsfeeds was much louder than the reality on the ground. If anything, people were often left wondering “where are they?”

Male and female 17-year cicada (Magicicada septendecium) mate along the Mackinaw River in Tazewell County. This summer, the 13-year cicada also emerged in the same year for the first time since 1803.
MIKE MILLER

Their long lifespan depends on long-lived trees. Areas that were historically prairie, and didn’t have trees, aren’t suitable habitat for them. Nor are new subdivisions without established, century-old trees. It literally takes hundreds of years for periodic cicadas to expand their range, but it only takes a season for their range to shrink. Think about how the world has changed since they were last among us. They last emerged in May 2007. Since that time, the invasive insect known as Emerald Ash Borer has devastated most of our native ash trees. With each tree that dies from disease, pests, or human causes, literally thousands of fewer cicadas will emerge. By the way, the last time they emerged was the same year that the first smartphone was released. Maybe that’s the reason that the cicada trended more on social media than in the real world. Over the last 150 years one species of periodic cicada and two entire broods have become extinct. Our Brood XIII is made up of three species of periodic cicada. Here’s hoping they survive for a return visit in 2041.

If you didn’t experience the emergence of the 17-year cicada, keep your ears open for the more widespread song of the annual cicadas which will emerge and start singing in July. There are more than a dozen different species of annual cicadas that will buzz away in the warm days to come. Each species has a different song and habitat requirements. To learn more about these insects visit Cicada Mania’s website

Counting Birds

The annual Spring Bird Count (SBC) took place throughout Illinois on the Weekend of May 4-5, 2024. This count is coordinated by county compilers who organize teams to cover each of the state’s 102 counties. Teams are out documenting every species and the number of individuals of each species they see within daylight hours. It is an all-out birding marathon weekend. I am the compiler for Peoria County, and this year we documented 141 species and 3,808 individual birds. The results were good for the number of species observed but not so good for the number of individual birds. This is a trend that has become the norm. We are still observing species diversity, but the populations of birds are showing a decline. This year was the 53rd year of the Illinois SBC. Next year’s SBC Is scheduled for May 10-11, 2025. To learn more about the Spring Bird Count, and how to participate, visit the Illinois Natural History Survey’s website

Another bird count happens in the winter. The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is organized by the National Audubon Society and is an international event. Instead of using county boundaries, the CBC has 15-mile-diameter count circles established throughout the northern hemisphere and takes place between the dates of Dec. 14 through Jan. 5. Next year is the 125th year for the CBC. If you are interested in being a part of a count near you, visit National Audubon’s CBC website

Red-headed Woodpecker establishing territory in Washington.
MIKE MILLER

Red-head neighbor

I have been reluctant to tend to a slowly dying silver maple that inhabits my back yard. Each year another dead branch appears. Fortunately, it is in a location where it doesn’t pose a threat to buildings or people. Bit by bit, the tree is self-pruning itself into a smaller problem. In the interim, each year a neighborhood woodpecker will build a nest. It is usually a pair of Downy Woodpeckers that set up housekeeping. This year, a Red-headed Woodpecker has frequented the tree and excavated a home. He called for a couple of weeks trying to entice a mate to his newly constructed tree cavity. A few days ago, he was successful and now we have a new family residing in our derelict tree. It is unusual to see Red-headed Woodpeckers in the middle of town. It shows the importance of backyard habitat and how a species can benefit if given an opportunity. In May 2023, I wrote a story on how this species of woodpecker was declining in population. Here’s a link to that column