There are three sounds that remind me that we are in the midst of high summer.
The first, is the constant chirping of the field crickets. Sometimes they sound like a chorus. Other times you can hear individuals singing their solos. Whether alone or in concert, they sing all day and all night long.
The second, is the buzz of the annual cicadas. High in the tops of the trees there is the electric "zzzzz". It rises and falls, sometimes seeming like it will go on forever. The cicadas do there singing in the heat of the day.
The third, is the nighttime call of the Oblong-winged Katydid (Amblycorypha oblongifolia). On a calm, quiet night the Katydid's begin to sing -- a intermittent, single, scratchy "zitiz".
With flashlight in hand, you can play a pretty quick game of Katydidian "Marco Polo". Listen, turn. Listen, turn. Listen, turn. Finally, there in front of you is the Katydid -- doing its leaf-like dance and calling to its friends.
