Autumn Stockpiles

 Autumn Stockpiles

Red Headed Woodpecker with acorn, Myrtle Beach Oct 2019.

Autumn is an interesting time to observe birds and wildlife. In many parts of temperate North America and Europe, autumn means that winter is around the corner. During this time, birds and certain insect species migrate, while some animals like bears, marmots, and certain mice prepare to hibernate. Food is often scarce during the winter months, and even in a mild region like Southeastern North Carolina, birds and animals need a consistent source of food when plants go dormant and insects go into hibernation. Some species of bird and mammals will stockpile food for later use. While it is a common belief that animals store up food for the winter, many birds and mammals will stockpile food throughout the year for various reasons. This behaivor is known as hoarding or caching and is a survival technique to ensure food availability during lean times like frigid winters, extended droughts, rainy weather, or another event that causes food scarcity. Squirrels, mice/rats, crows, jays, shrikes, certain woodpeckers, and small woodland birds are examples of animals that routinely hoard food for later use. 

Hoarding 

White Oak acorn collected on walk around Greenfield Lake

Hoarding or caching is the behaivor of storing or hiding food in deliberate spots for later use. It can serve many purposes in the natural world although the most common reason is to ensure that food is available in times of scarcity. Animals also use this technique to hide precious food sources from other members of their species or from other species and possibly as a  means of ripening nuts or berries. Ants, bees, wasps, and other insects may also store food although this behaivor is different from the food hoarding seen with birds or rodents. Hoarding is most common in the autumn and winter although many birds will save up food throughout the year. Chipmunks, rats, and hamsters stockpile large amounts of food in their dens or in sites called larders. Certain birds like Acorn and Red Headed Woodpeckers will also store their food in a handful of places. Most other birds and mammals store individual items in scattered locations across the landscape. Both techniques have their advantages and disadvantages. Food larders are easy for a bird or rodent to defend but a raid or disaster could wipe out an entire food supply. Food stockpiled in this way tends to be kept for long periods of time (months or longer) and most birds that stockpile food in this way are colonial (as is the case with Red Headed and Acorn Woodpeckers). Scattered sites do not have to be defended as much as most items are well-hidden in unique locations and the loss of a few sites will not jeopardize the food supply. However, animals are more likely to forget items. Most of the birds and all squirrels in our area stockpile food in scattered locations rather than in a single location. Nuts and seeds are better candidates for long-term storage than fruits, or insect prey. Nuts and acorns may still be edible months after they are hidden, while meat or fruits could spoil if they are not retrieved in a timely manner. Warmer temperatures during the winter can cause food items to spoil according to this video about Grey Jays from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Learn more about hoarding and caching by visiting its article on Wikipedia. This is a good place to start and there are additional references that editors used on the bottom of each Wikipedia article. 

Animals that Cache Food 

In the Cape Fear Region there are a number of birds and mammals that store food for later use. All three of the squirrel species in our area store nuts and seeds during the autumn with Grey and Fox Squirrel using the scatter hoarding technique. In the interior of the Carolinas, the Eastern Chipmunk stores seeds and nuts in their dens before hibernating, while beavers, and most rat or mouse species will provision food in their homes. For birds, the main species that store food are members of the Corvid family like crows, ravens, and jays, two species of woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice. Loggerhead Shrikes, and possibly owls or hawks may temporally store food to feed young or hide it from competing species. Below is a list of birds and animals that routinely store food.

Crows and ravens may carry items for miles. 

Common Crow: Common Crows store a variety of food items throughout the year although they are most likely to hoard nuts from hickories, oaks, beeches, and chestnuts during the autumn. This species of crow lives in family units or colonies in forested areas and usually hides nuts and seeds in tree hollows, under stones, or in the ground. Crows may also hide meat, large insects, or food picked from waste bins to hide it from other birds. It is not clear if Fish Crows stores food as extensively as the Common Crow. The Common Raven also hoards food. 

Blue Jays often hoard feeder items for later use.

Blue Jay: Blue Jays readily stockpile nuts from oaks, hickories, beeches, chestnuts, and pines from late summer through winter. They also take large amounts of food from birdfeeders stocked with peanuts, sunflower seeds, or chopped tree nuts to hide in tree holes, crevices, or in the ground. Jays may also hoard during the summer. 

Loggerhead Shrike: Shrikes create larders by impaling their prey to thorny trees like hawthorn, or honeylocust or to manmade objects like barbwire and chainlink fences. These predatory songbirds often store grasshoppers, cicadas, small rodents, lizards, and other songbirds for later use or to feed young. Pairs fiercely defend sites from marauding crows, jays, or opportunistic mammals like raccoons or foxes. Birds of prey like owls and hawks may also temporally store prey. 

Red Bellied Woodpecker grabbing peanut as a Mockingbird guards the suet.

Red Bellied Woodpecker: The ubiquitous Red Bellied Woodpecker is a scatter hoarder like the Blue Jay with individuals or pairs storing nuts, seeds, large insects, and items from bird tables throughout the year.  Acorns, beechnuts, and hickory nuts are most likely to be stored long-term with the majority of items stored in the autumn and retrieved during the winter. Other items are hidden short-term to outsmart squirrels, crows, jays, or even agile nuthatches that try to plunder caches. Most items are wedged between bark, in crevices, or in human structures like telephone poles, wooden fences, or siding. 

Red Headed Woodpecker: The Red Headed Woodpecker is a colonial woodpecker that creates small larders near roost and nest trees. While this woodpecker does not create massive pantries of acorns like the Acorn Woodpecker out west, they do stockpile as many acorns, and nuts as they can find. This woodpecker will also store large insects, and small vertebrate prey items, as well as fruits for short periods of time. Items are usually wedged into bark, dead trees, or drilled holes in trees or decayed posts. Red Headed Woodpeckers will defend their hoards from other birds and squirrels.

Brown Headed Nuthatches can store large amounts of food in larders. 

Brown Headed Nuthatch: This nuthatch creates small larders that are scattered across several trees with pine seeds and other conifers seeds making up the majority of the stockpile.  Almost all items are wedged behind bark or in tree crevices and  manmade structures. As a colonial or gregarious species, this nuthatch is often seen in groups of 5-20 birds and may defend sites. Nuthatches often hoard sunflower seeds, peanuts, chunks of suet, or other items and will fly back and forth from feeders to save up food. They may do this to avoid competition with other feeder visitors or larger birds like woodpeckers. There is also interspecies competition between Brown Headed Nuthatches and Pine Warblers over pine seeds with the latter not known to hoard food. 

White Breasted Nuthatch: This ubiquitous nuthatch stores small amounts of food throughout  the year although it does not creates larders. Pairs or individuals may store nuts, seeds, or birdfeeder items in nearby trees, sides of houses, or even plant stalks in a garden or weedy field. Other food items are stored short-term to hide it from other songbirds.

Red Breasted Nuthatches are normally seen in Wilmington when conifer seeds are scarce up north.

Red Breasted Nuthatch: Like White Breasted Nuthatch, this small nuthatch usually hides seeds or nuts to avoid competition or as an insurance policy for rainy, snowy, or windy days. This bird also depends on conifer seeds and will venture outside of the boreal regions of Canada or the Appalachian Corridor when spruce, fir, hemlock or White Pine seeds are scarce. 

Chickadees often hide food from other birds and may move items several times. 

Carolina Chickadee: Chickadees will stockpile individual seeds, nuts, or insects over a short period of time during any month of the year. Chickadees may do this to hide food from other chickadees, or more aggressive nuthatches, titmice, and woodpeckers, or to ensure a steady food supply on rainy, windy, or cold days. Chickadees and titmice will often wedge items in crevices, plant stalks, bark, manmade objects, and even hanging planters. Since chickadees often hoard sunflower seeds from bird tables, there may be random sunflowers growing out of flowerpots, or other unexpected locations. 

Titmice are less likely to store up food and mostly do so in autumn.

Tufted Titmouse: Like Carolina Chickadee, except that titmice store food less prolifically and often to hide items from other birds. 

Grey Squirrels burry hundreds of nuts, creating new trees in the process.

Squirrels: Grey and Fox Squirrels will spend the summer and autumn stockpiling nuts, and seeds from various trees to prepare for winter. Since neither squirrel species (nor the Flying Squirrel) hibernates, they must ensure there is a supply of food through the winter. Squirrels burry nuts in soft soil or in out of the way spots like tree stumps, or crevices. Nuts and seeds are stored in scattered locations with hundreds of items hidden at a time. While many caches end up being pilfered by other squirrels, groups of crows, jays, or local Red Bellied Woodpeckers, there are more than enough food stored for a family of squirrels. Many items are forgotten, allowing new oaks, hickories, or other trees to sprout. Squirrels store up large amounts of birdseed as well, meaning that the majority of the items that local colonies raid from bird tables ends up being buried. This may be part of the reason why volunteer sunflowers, millet, corn, and milo plants spring up in gardens well-away from the bird feeders.  

Ecological Roles 

Oaks like these Live Oaks depend on squirrels and birds for seed dispersal.

Food caching can benefit animals by ensuring a steady food source for times of scarcity, or by keeping precious items safe from competitors. However, food stockpiles can also benefit the ecosystem in a number of ways. 

• Forgotten nuts by squirrels, crows, and jays can allow trees like oaks, hickories, beeches, and formerly the critically endangered American Chestnut to spread to new areas. Birds like jays, crows, and nutcrackers can can carry nuts very long distances.

• Cache raiding is a easy way for opportunistic birds or mammals to get food during the winter

• Stored food is very important for animals in the Far North such as Grey Jays, Boreal Chickadees, Common Ravens, and Northern Shrikes. Spoiled food larders due to warming temperatures could jeopardize winter survival or breeding success

• Stored items may also feed or shelter insects 

Migration Timetables, Autumn

 Arrivals and Departures of Autumn Migration

An Autumn Wood, a good place to look for migratory birds.

Here is a listing of what birds pass through the Cape Fear Region during autumn migration. This is our busiest season for birdwatching and almost anything is possible from September through December. Check out the article on Autumn Migration to learn more. This list and  its times are based on the author's observations and applicable data from eBird.org. Since birds are highly mobile and food is a major factor in movements, timing may vary, and almost anything is possible. 

August

American Redstart 

I consider August the beginning of the Autumn bird circle as it is often the first month we begin to birds visit from other locations. Some of our summer residents such as Orchard Orioles, Purple Martins, and some of the flycatchers have already left our gardens and woodlands in July.  Others such as Indigo Buntings, Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, Grey Catbirds, and year-round residents like Brown Thrashers, cardinals, mockingbirds, and Carolina Wrens are finishing their last broods. 

Departures

• Orchard Oriole: July 15-Aug 1st
• Acadian Flycatcher: July 15+
• Protonotary Warbler: July 15-Aug 1st
• Least Terns, Common Terns and Black Skimmers leave nest colonies around Mid-August

Note:  Many breeding residents in local woodlands, parks, and gardens will also leave once their young mature, though you may see other groups of the same birds visit the area. Examples of this include most breeding warblers and vireos, Great Crested Flycatchers, Wood Pewees, Common Grackles, and Summer Tanagers.

Arrivals

• Mostly species from the region such as Summer Tanagers, Prairie Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Chipping Sparrows. 
• At the sea, Sanderlings, and other sandpipers  
• American Redstarts may visit as soon as July (they could be expanding their nesting range eastward)

September

Broad Winged Hawk

September is the beginning of the first waves of autumn migrants in Southeastern North Carolina and is when you start to see birds from further north or inland. You will also find many familiar summer residents passing through as well as some birds that will linger on their territories well after other birds move on. Greenfield Lake, Airlie Gardens, Fort Fisher Recreation Area, and Burn't Mill Creek become busy corridors for birds. You will see a lot of different species in your gardens or at an urban park or dooryard. Tropical cyclones may blow in unusual species with cold fronts trigger waves of visitors (often on the first chilly morning in September).

Departures

• Great Crested Flycatcher: Mid-September
• Eastern Kingbird: Early to Mid-September
• Mississippi Kite: September 1st-15th 
• Purple Martins: September 15th  
• Most Least Terns, Common Terns, and Skimmers 

Note: At this point most if not  all summer residents should be off their territories if they are not overwintering. It is likely that any bird you see from this point onwards is from another area, even if that species nested in your garden or in area forests. The Painted Bunting may be an exception as these tend to overwinter readily, as do a handful of hummingbirds and catbirds. 

Arrivals

• Palm Warbler: Around September 15th
• American Redstart: As early as August 
• Yellow Warbler: Early September 
• Common Yellowthroat (Migrant): Increases from Sept 1st 
• Prairie Warbler (Migrants)
• Cape May Warbler: First reported in Late September 
• Willow, Least, Alder Flycatchers: Sept 1st onwards 
• Broad Winged Hawk: Some birds pass through in Sept
• American Goldfinches and Song Sparrows: Late Sempt 
•  Cliff (or Cave), Rough-Winged Swallows, or Sand Martin "Bank Swallows"
• Baltimore Oriole: Sept 20th or earlier  
• Sharp Shinned Hawk (Sept or Oct)
• Common Flicker (Sept 20th)

October

Northern Waterthrush at Greenfield Lake

October is the peak of autumn migration and is arguably the  best time to scan parks, woodlands, and  areas near wetlands for visitors. You can see almost anything from the entries above, as well as a broad range of woodland, wetland, and meadowland birds from other parts of North America. You may also see vagrant or out-of-range species like Spoonbills, Storks, Rufous Hummingbirds, Scissor-Tailed Flycatchers, or a Western Tanager. Most mornings bring new suprises although it can be a challenging task to separate a unique or unusual species amongst a flock of Redstarts, Palm Warblers or Chipping Sparrows. Shorebirds are even harder as they mostly look alike and are quiet. 

Departures

• Last Crested Flycatchers leave by October
• Most Wood Pewees and small flycatchers move through by Oct 15th 
• Warbler and Vireo flocks begin to decrease from October 20th onwards 
• At this point, most summer residents are gone 
• All swallows except Tree Swallows move on by Oct 15th
• Chimney Swifts are last seen in late Oct   
• Yellow Billed Cuckoo departs in late October with stragglers into Dec
• Green Heron: Oct 15-20th at the latest

Arrivals

• Most warblers including Black Throated Blue, Magnolia, Cape May Warblers peak 
• Black and White Warblers first appear 
• Northern Waterthrush 
• Veery, Swainson's and Grey-Cheeked Thrushes, first Hermit Thrush in Mid-Oct 
• Warbling, Philadelphia, and Blue Headed Vireos mix in to Red Eyed Vireos 
• House Wren (late Sept)
• Most likely time for Rufous Hummingbird sightings
• Yellow Rumped Warblers appear Oct 15-20 
• First winter sparrows appear around Oct 31st 
• Teal and Mallards are usually the first ducks to arrive 
• Cowbirds, Starlings, Red Winged Blackbirds and Grackles return (winter pop)
• Siskins and Goldfinches 
• Yellow Belled Sapsucker  
• Cedar Waxwing (often later in October)

November

Rusty Blackbirds  

By November, autumn migration is winding down and the last of the insectivorous birds are making their way through SE NC. Redstarts and Cape May Warblers give way to the ubiquitous Yellow Rumped Warbler, while vireos and thrushes leave once the magnolias and dogwoods have been stripped of their fruits. You can still see summer residents and migration into December and a few birds will stay with us all winter. This is when winter residents begin to settle in. Look for White Throated/Crowned Sparrows, or Baltimore Orioles at feeders, and scan flocks of chickadees for kinglets, Orange Crowned Warblers, or a treecreeper. 

Departures

• Most of the summer residents and migrating songbirds have moved further south 
• Grey Catbirds may stick around until November 30th 
• Summer Tanagers, Gnatcatchers, Parulas, Prairie Warblers may also linger
• Some Anhinga and Ospreys may stick around all winter

Arrivals

• Yellow Rumped Warblers become regular after Oct 31st 
• White Throated Sparrows 
• White Crowned Sparrow 
• Winter population of Chipping Sparrows (usually in large flocks)
• Juncos 
• Winter Wren 
• Brown Creeper
• Most Hermit Thrushes 
• Eastern Phoebe 
• Red Breasted Nuthatch during irruptions 
• Winter seagulls, cormorants, and waterfowl

December

Purple Finch

December is the end of Autumn Migration and most of our winter residents have now settled in to area hedgerows, woodlands, and gardens. After a bit of a lull in November, bird tables become busy and winter fruits lure in flocks of birds. Wax Myrtles and Bayberries will draw Yellow Rumped Warblers by the hundreds to coastal areas or in landscaped areas containing the shrub. While migration may be over, there are still birds passing through the region including waterfowl, and wintering raptors. Keep your eye out for large flocks of Tree Swallows just before dusk, and scan for new ducks, shorebirds, and seagulls at ponds and lakes. While it is possible for very late stragglers such as cuckoos, or gnatcatchers to persist into December, almost any summer resident seen at this point will probably overwinter. Summer Tanagers, Prairie Warblers, hummingbirds, and House Wrens often linger around, especially if bird tables or plant selections sustain them. 

Departures

Nearly all migratory waves of woodland birds have moved through the area at this point. Grey Catbirds are among the last songbirds to flow through hedgerows and woodlands. Anything seen after December will probably be here for the winter. Don't be surprised to find late stragglers like the birds listed directly below.

• Blue Grey Gnatcatcher 
• Northern Parula or Yellow Throated Warbler
• Wilson's Warbler 
• Black and White Warbler
• Prairie Warbler 
• House Wren 
• Cliff or Cave Swallow 
• Anhinga, Osprey, or Green Heron 
• Summer Tanager
• Yellow Billed Cuckoo

Arrivals

• Large groups of Turkey Vultures often pass through in November and December 
• Most ducks, geese, swans, and gulls do not arrive until December 
• Harriers, Short Eared Owls, SawHet Owl (if you can find them)
• Winter populations of American Robin 
• Rusty Blackbird 
• Fox Sparrow
• Purple Finch 
• Evening Grosbeaks, Crossbills and other rare surprises 

Carolina Chickadee

 Carolina Chickadee

Poecile carolinus

The Carolina Chickadee is one of the most frequently encountered birds in the Carolinas and along with the Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, and Carolina Wren is practically a guarantee in any garden in our area. This birds is often one of the first species a new birdwatcher will identify in the field or at a  newly installed feeder. Our chickadee is also familiar to anyone who lived in the Northeastern United States, Canada, or the Upper Midwest, as it closely resembles the Black Capped Chickadee Poecile atricapilius. The Carolina Chickadee is a nonmigratory resident that remains with us all year. Chickadees are gregarious, noisy, and adaptable and can be seen foraging for insects, fruits, or seeds in trees, shrubs or herbaceous vegetation, or travelling in mixed flocks of woodland birds. Chickadees and titmice are part of a large family of songbirds known as Tits or more specifically Parids. The European counterpart of the Carolina Chickadee is the Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus, which occupies a similar niche and is the same size. All of these birds exhibit similar traits and features and are highly adaptable. In North America we have six species of chickadees and five species that are called titmice.

Description 

In general, chickadees are small, round songbirds that have a fairly long tail and a head that looks larger than their body. They are among our smallest garden birds with only kinglets, Winter Wrens, and  some hummingbirds being smaller. Chickadees are easily identified by their black and white heads, greyish or bluish back, and a light underside. Individuals can show a lot of variation with some birds appearing yellowish below, while others are are olive colored. The similar looking Black Capped Chickadee is noticeably larger and has some minor differences in its plumage. The only place where you will see Black Capped Chickadees in the Carolinas is in some areas of Appalachia such as along the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

• Size: 9-12cm (3.5-4.5"), smaller than most other garden birds 

• Plumage: Grey or bluish on the back and wings with a black cap, nape, and throat and white cheeks. The underside can be olive, greyish, white, or yellow depending on the lighting and season.  

• Shape: Small, round bird with a long tail, and a short pointed beak

• Flight: Chickadees have a bouncy flight profile and mostly fly short distances between trees of clumps of vegetation 

Similar Birds 

Black and White Warblers are the most likely birds to be confused with chicakdees

Black Capped Chickadee: Larger with slight plumage difference such as white wings, undersides that appear whitish. Rarely overlaps with Carolina except in Blue Ridge. All chickadees in the Cape Fear Region are Carolinas 

Black and White Warbler: A striking summer resident and migrant that is black and white. Both  males and female warblers are told from chickadees by their zebra-striped patterns, long pointed bill, and habit of creeping up and down trees like a nuthatch. Male Blackpoll Warblers have white cheeks and black caps but also have a zebra-striped body.

Nuthatches: Longer bill, very short  tail, creeps up and down trees

Tufted Titmouse: Larger cousin of the chickadee that is common in our area. Despite being distantly related, titmice look nothing like chickadees. They are larger (up to 17cm or 7") and have have a cardinal like crest, no black on the head, and white undersides. Titmice are often seen with chickadees. 

House Sparrow: Male House Sparrows can be confused with chickadees but are much larger (more like 15-17cm or 6-7"), have a black chest, reddish-brown back, and a thick finch-like bill. They overlap with chickadees only in gardens, parks, and cities and are never found in woodlands. 

Calls 

The Carolina Chickadee makes a variety of call notes including high-pitched whistles, chatters, trills, and a gurgling call. Chickadees may have dozens of different sounds including specific calls to warn of Accipiter hawks, land-based predators, or to maintain contact with other birds in mixed flocks. The main calls include a high pitched "seees" or "seeet" call, and a buzzy "Chip-zeeeek" call that. Flocks of chickadees produce a constant chatter of noise while feeding or travelling. Below are some notable calls for chickadees. You can listen to these and other calls on Cornell Lab's All About Birds profile about this species.

Whistled Song: The Carolina Chickadee's main song is a three to eight note whistled phrase that is mainly given by males during the winter and spring to announce territories. This song usually has a singsongy pattern and to me sounds like "Car-O-Lin-A" or "Spring Is-Here", although most books write it as "Fee-Bee-Fee-Bay". In general terms, the whistle song of chickadees are very loud and sound like no other woodland bird. The Black Capped Chickadee only has a two or three note whistle. This song is heard from December to early May, and sporadically during the summer and autumn. 

Chick-A-Dee-Dee Call: The most familiar call of chickadees is their namesake "chick-a-dee-dee" call. The Carolina's call is much faster than the Black Capped Chickadee and may have up to a dozen "dees". This call is mainly a warning call to other chickadees, or to a potential predator or nest intruder. 

Sparrowhawk Warning: Another distinctive call that chickadees, and titmice make is a piercing series of whistles that sound like "Seeeeeese seeeeese seeeese" This call is given when there is a Merlin, Sharp Shinned, or Cooper's Hawk in the area and is often heard before the birds fall silent. This warning is apparently understood by other birds and animals as other birds and often squirrels will rush to cover or freeze when it is given. 

Notes  

Season: Carolina Chickadees are nonmigratory residents that remain in their territories year-round. 

Range: Chickadees are common to abundant across all regions of North and South Carolina and are widespread across the Southeastern US from Eastern Texas to as far north as Ohio and Delaware. They overlap with Black Capped Chickadees only along the Appalachian Corridor and in the northern edge of their range. 

Habitat: Carolina Chickadee are found in virtually any habitat with trees, shrubs, or clumps of herbaceous plants. They are common in forest openings, woodlands, hedgerows, old fields, parklands, gardens, and even landscape areas in urban areas. While uncommon at the coast, you could find Carolina Chickadees in maritime thickets, along the edges of saltmarshes, or on some barrier islands as long as there is cover. The only habitats that chickadees avoid are open grasslands, extensive marshes, or in landscapes with no cover. 

Diet: Chickadees consume a mix of insects, seeds, and fruits, and are quite adaptable. This bird consumes largely caterpillars of moths and butterflies, other insect larvae, aphids, and small spiders. They consume the seeds of various wildflowers, weeds, and grasses with wild or cultivated sunflowers being a favorite choice. Chickadees also eat the seeds of alders, birches, elms, maples, and numerous other trees, and consume fruits of Virginia Creeper, Poison Ivy, and Hackberry among others. Chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches cache (store) seeds and nuts throughout the year and stockpile large amounts of food during the autumn in crevices, plant stalks, or human objects. At bird tables, chickadees will eat sunflower seeds, peanut halves, safflower, mealworms, chopped tree nuts, suet, lard, and even sip from hummingbird or oriole feeders. Caterpillars and other insects are an important factor in the breeding success of chickadees and titmice with thousands of caterpillars needed to raise one brood of birds (from Douglas Tallamy Bringing Nature Home)

Caterpillars are the most important food for chickadees

Nesting: Chickadees nest very early in the season with our species breeding as early as February while most birds are out of the nest by late May. Carolina Chickadees raise only one brood per year. They typically establish tiny territories during the winter and may choose a nest site early into the season. They nest in tree holes, or other cavities. Typically, chickadees excavate a hole into a decaying limb or stump, although they readily reuse old Downy Woodpecker or Brown Headed Nuthatch nests, natural hollows, animal burrows, overturned stumps, and crevices in rock outcroppings. Chickadees usually choose nest sites that range from from ground level to 3m (10ft) and often use manmade objects such as mailboxes, vents, openings in buildings, or streetlamps as alternate nest sites. Chickadees are among the most common birds to accept birdhouses and will nest in any garden as long as there is enough food to support young. Their nest is a simple mat of moss, feathers, animal fur, and plant fibers that look like a mattress and may have a small depression for its eggs. No other nest in our area looks like this. The female lays 3-8 eggs per clutch and the nesting cycle takes about two weeks from laying to fledgling. After breeding, chickadees reform flocks. 

Chickadee nest with five nestlings

Behaivor: Chickadees are energetic birds that are often travel in flocks of 3-15 birds (or more). They forage in vegetation ranging from tall weeds or flowerbeds to the tops of large trees and can move across a wide range of environments. Chickadees maintain complex social structures in their flocks and form hierarchies that determine who gets the best access to food, and other resources. Chickadee flocks often contain other woodland birds such as woodpeckers, nuthatches, titmice, kinglets, gnatcatchers, Parulidae Warblers, and treecreepers, while goldfinches, siskins, juncos, and bluebirds may follow chickadees as well. Chickadees will readily mob predators such as cats, hawks, or owls, to signal other birds to investigate. While feeding, chickadees and titmice will land on small branches or plant stems, hang upside down, or hover near outer branches. At bird tables, these birds will take a seed or piece of food and fly off to a nearby branch to hammer it open or to cache it for later. 

Mixed Flocks: Chickadees often travel and feed in mixed flocks throughout the year. In the winter, chickadees are often found with other woodland birds, while in the summer, insectivorous birds like warblers, vireos, and gnatcatchers associate with local chickadees to find food. Scan flocks of chickadees or titmice to catch spring or autumn migrants, or unusual species. Some of the birds you can find in chickadee flocks include the following.

The Red Breasted Nuthatch is a bird that can be found with chickadees

• Downey and Hairy Woodpeckers 
• Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers (winter)
• Nuthatches 
• Treecreepers 
• Tufted Titmice 
• Carolina or Winter Wrens 
• Yellow Throated, Pine, or Black and White Warblers 
• Yellow Rumped Warbler 
• Orange Crowned Warbler 
• Kinglets 
• Gnatcatchers 
• Blue Headed Vireos 
• Eastern Bluebirds 

Also Look for Open Country Birds like 

• Goldfinches, House Finches, and Siskins 
• Juncos, Field Sparrows, or Chipping Sparrows 
• Common Flickers
• Red Headed Woodpeckers 

Garden Information

Carolina Chickadees are one of our most common garden residents and virtually every neighborhood or park has a population of chickadees. With nest sites, and good source of food, chickadees can live their entire lives within a garden. While birdfeeders and bird tables are the easiest way to bring birds to your garden, the landscape itself is the most important component of a good bird habitat. 

Garden Features

Carolina Chickadees on Narrow-leaf Sunflower, by Curtis Downey

It is rather easy to provide suitable habitat for chickadees in a garden setting. All these birds need is a good year-round food source, suitable nest sites, and a mix of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants for cover and habitat. Native plants and trees are an important element of any bird habitat as these plants provide the food that insects need to survive, which ultimately provide food for most of our birds. Caterpillars are an important food for adult chickadees and their young. Trees such as oaks, hickories, elms, and birches are good canopy trees for hosting insect populations, while shrubs or small trees like redbuds, dogwoods, blueberries, and native azaleas, are good choices for understory. Most native flowering plants such as sunflowers, coneflowers, goldenrods, salvias, and wild indigo are good choices for attracting butterflies and moths, or providing seeds for birds. Grapes, Virginia Creeper, and Coral Honeysuckle are examples of vines that support insect diversity. Chickadees will also happily visit flowerbeds and vegetable gardens that aren't treated with pesticides and almost any plant that attracts insects will help. Remembers that adding just a few native plants to a landscape can make a big difference in bird habitat. 

Nesting

A birdhouse with a hole for wrens or chickadees

 Chickadees will use any birdhouse or makeshift nest site with an entrance hole of at least 2cm (1") and are the most common nest box user in the Carolinas. The smaller hole size keeps these birds safe from larger species as they are often displaced by bluebirds, titmice, nuthatches, Crested Flycatchers, or woodpeckers. Put up birdhouses during the autumn and leave them up year round. Chickadees, bluebirds, and nuthatches often choose nest sites in the autumn or winter. You can place a nest box for chickadees anywhere in your garden although they are more likely to use a box placed near trees, hedges, or woods, then a box placed on a lawn or pasture. Chickadees often nest well before bluebirds, so it is possible for a birdhouse to be used by a chickadee in the early spring, while a bluebird or flycatcher may move in shortly after the chickadees fledge. In addition to, Carolina Chickadees will make use of gourds, repurposed letterboxes, teapots, watering cans,  flowerpots, and anything else with a hole and large enough cavity. Make sure all nest sites have good drainage or ventilation and a way for the young to exit when they fledge. In garden setting, it is best to place a birdhouse about 1-2m (3-6ft)  above the ground with the higher option being better for safety. Install boxes on a post and use baffling to keep cats, raccoons, and other animals from climbing to the nest. Boxes can be placed on trees, or on higher settings, although it will be harder to maintain or monitor them.

Bird Table Information

Chickadee and Oriole near a window feeder setup

The Carolina Chickadee is often the first bird to find a new feeder setup and may discover a new food source within days of installation. Along with cardinals, chickadees and  titmice are among the most loyal visitors and will visit multiple times per day. Even during the summer season, these birds will continue coming to your feeder. They will use any kind of feeder and are bold enough to come up to window mounted feeders. The presence of chickadees and  titmice often entice other birds to stop by, so keep an eye out for an odd visitor or two. You  can also train chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches to come to your hand by putting nuts or seeds in your palm and sitting still.

Chickadees love black oil sunflower seeds and chopped peanuts the most but will take safflower, striped sunflower seeds, and chopped tree nuts as well. They generally avoid millet or other small seeds and cannot open nuts or peanuts that are whole. The best foods for garden birds in the Carolina are the "no-mess" or premium blends which typically contain shelled sunflower seeds, peanuts, small fruits, and sometimes  mealworms. These mixes are loved by chickadees and titmice, but are also eaten by most of our other birds. They also attract birds that normally ignore regular birdseed such as tanagers, orioles, most warblers, catbirds, and the like. Suet, lard, peanut butter, mealworms, and meaty table scraps can also be used to attract chickadees. Carolina Chickadees will also sip nectar from hummingbird or oriole feeders.  

Water dispensers for small birds

Other Needs: Chickadees do not need much else although a birdbath or other water source will be accepted. I sometimes offer a water globe (a hanging device that looks like a hummingbird feeder that provides water). Due to their small size, chickadees are not as likely to use traditional birdbaths as cardinals, robins, or starlings, and will avoid anything that is too deep. Placing small rocks into a bath can make water features accessible to small birds. 

Dealing with Mosquitoes

 Dealing with Mosquitoes 

Asian Tiger Mosquito Andes albopictus 
Source: Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Mosquitoes are a part of life in Southeastern North Carolina and they can be both a nuisance to people and a potential danger to birds. At the same time, most of our native mosquitoes are beneficial to the landscape as they provide food for predatory insects, spiders, and even birds, while some species pollenate flowers. In this week's article, I will discuss the ways that we can deal with mosquitoes without resorting to harmful pesticides. 

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes (Family Culicidae) are small to mid-sized insects that belong to the insect order Diptera and are in the same group as houseflies, hoverflies, and midges. All of these insects have a single pair of wings and differ from flying insects like bees or wasps (which have two pairs of wings). There are hundreds of species of mosquitoes in North America although only a small handful bite people or pets. In the Cape Fear Region, the main nuisance mosquito is the Tiger or Day Mosquito Ades albopictus which is common in Wilmington from April to as late as December depending on how cold it gets. A few other nasty species include our native Culex mosquitoes (like the House Mosquito), Floodwater Mosquitoes (Andes vexans) and the giant Psorophora (commonly called Gallinippers) which mainly occur near wetlands or after major rain events like tropical cyclones. Outside of these examples, many species are relatively harmless and some do not bite people at all. Mosquitoes are not to be confused with the large but harmless craneflies, predatory robberflies, or swarms of midges as none of these bite people. 

Lifecycle 

Mosquitoes are fascinating species from an entomology standpoint and like butterflies they undergo metamorphosis. All mosquitoes require water to breed and complete their larval and pupal stages in bodies of stagnant water. Most of our native species breed only in puddles, vernal (temporary) ponds, tree holes, or in flooded meadows and rarely survive in water features with fish, or aquatic insects (dragonfly larvae, water scorpions etc). Because of this, most of the woodland and meadowland mosquito species only bother us when we are hiking, kayaking or happen to live next to such an environment. Species that breed in floodwaters or puddles may become abundant days or weeks after hurricanes or major rain events but are temporary issues. The only mosquito that is a major problem in our gardens is the Asian Tiger Mosquito which is a nonnative species introduced in imported tires and other objects that carry water. Most species complete their development in 1-2 weeks while the Tiger Mosquito can go from egg to adult in just 7 days.

Breeding Habitat: Most mosquitos choose marshes, stagnant ponds, or other wetlands for habitat and stick to natural areas. The Tiger Mosquito can breed in any body of water including rainwater that collects in flowerpots, clogged gutters, or rubbish left on roadsides. A bottle cap may provide enough water this species to breed, and forgotten flowerpots or old tires can become mosquito factories. In general, mosquitoes avoid moving water and environments with fish.

Range: Most mosquitoes travel only a few hundred meters from their breeding source and mostly bite victims within that radius. Saltmarsh Mosquitoes and Floodwater Mosquitoes can travel very long distances but are little more than nuisances and are most common after hurricanes. In most cases if you are being bitten by mosquitoes the source is not far away. 

Breeding: The breeding cycle of mosquitoes is similar to other insects. Mosquitoes protein to develop eggs which is why some species bite other animals. After mating, the eggs are laid on bodies of water or nearby vegetation and will hatch shortly after. The eggs may of some species  remain inactive for long periods of time until they come in contact with water. Larvae consume detritus and resemble small worms that have breathing siphons on their tails. After pupating, they emerge as adults and restart the cycle. 

Ecological Role: While mosquitoes are often viewed for their annoyance or health risks, they have a role in our ecosystems. Aside from being a food source, the insects pollenate certain plants just like other flies, while their larvae consume detritus in ponds. In turn, mosquitoes can also cause harm to birds and wildlife. Overabundance of biting midges, mosquitoes, and blackflies can kill or weaken bird nestlings, reptiles or amphibians, and increase stress in large animals like deer. They can also carry diseases and parasites that can impact local ecology. Over abundance of mosquitoes in your garden can be bad news for birds as many avian borne diseases can be transmitted through mosquitoes. 

Controlling Mosquitoes

Properly working fountains rarely harbor mosquitos 

Mosquitoes can quickly become an issue in a garden or public area if they are left unchecked. While their bites are annoying or painful, some species can be vectors of disease. The insects can also weaken livestock, and lead to other consequences as well. Cities, counties, farmers, and citizens take many measures to control mosquitoes although most solutions rarely solve the problems, and are at best a temporally solution. Certain actions can lead to unintended consequences such as the loss of other insect species such as native bees, dragonflies and domestic honeybees in area hives. On a community level, county or state agencies may spray communities for mosquitoes to control disease vectors or treat ditches, floodplains, and other wet areas with larvacides to inhibit breeding. New Hanover County (NHC) for example only sprays when a disease communicable to humans or livestocks is detected and a population threshold has been met (based on scent traps, wetland survey and other sampling means). While homeowners can buy mosquito foggers, persistent insecticides or pay for a commercial mosquito service, pesticide applications should only be a last resort. Such actions can cause risks to native insects, reptiles, birds, or people sensitive to certain chemicals if done incorrectly or too often. Below are some measures to reduce or even get ride of mosquitoes in you garden without chemicals. All of these measures are simple tasks that can make a big difference for your family and your neighbors.  

Tip and Toss: The best way to control mosquitoes in your garden is to dump standing water and remove or cover anything that can hold water. Flowerpots, clay saucers, plastic tubs, and old tires are just some of the items that can harbor Tiger or Floodwater Mosquitoes. An object as small as a bottle cap can be enough for mosquitoes. Trash such as snack wrappers, cans, beer cans, or abandoned appliances may also host mosquitoes and should be cleaned up. According to NHC, most mosquitoes have a limited range and eliminating sources will reduce encounters with these insects. 

Clean Birdbaths: Birdbaths and other water features should be dumped out and refreshed daily and cleaned once a week. 

Moving Water: Larger water features such as fountains, garden ponds, and container marshes should be aerated with pumps or another device that keeps the water moving. Alternately you can stock garden ponds with fish to keep mosquitoes at bay. 

Organic/Home Remedies: Add organic or biological larvacides into containers of water you intend to keep or cannot easily tip or dump. These products are available in most hardware stores, and your county or town may even offer them for free at the government center. Mosquito control sticks often look like doughnuts and last for weeks or months at a time. You could also use dish soap, Castile soap, or another nontoxic (preferably organic) substance that makes it harder for mosquitoes to lay  eggs or prevents the larvae from breathing (if the container is not also being used by frogs or other animals). 

Cover Rain Barrels: Cover all rain barrels with screen or mesh small enough to keep mosquitoes from getting in. A Tiger Mosquito is 0.3cm (1/8th of an inch) and can get through some types of mesh. Keep the barrel from overflowing as well.

Natural Predators: Another solution for mosquitoes is to provide habitat for natural predators. Dragonflies, damselflies, lacewings, robberflies, certain wasps, and web-spinning spiders readily eat mosquitoes. Certain birds and reptiles may also eat mosquitoes in small numbers. In the water, dragonfly larvae, minnows, frog tadpoles, water scorpions, and  aquatic beetles eat mosquito larvae. Destroying wetlands to combat mosquitoes will only reduce the natural predators, and will not control nonnative mosquitoes as they can breed anywhere

Avoiding Mosquitoes   

It is best to hike near wetland forests during the midmorning 

The best way to minimize the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes or other biting flies is to avoid them in the first place. Most of our native species are active during a small window between dawn or dusk, or on overcast days. Avoid hiking in forests or marshes or wear protective clothing (long trousers, shirt, face netting if you have it) during peak times. The Tiger Mosquito, is mostly active during the daytime but stick to forests, shady areas, and areas with dense vegetation. Still these insects will be less active during the heat of the day or in open areas away from woods or brush. 

• Hike, walk, or exercise during the day as mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk

• Mosquitoes are more numerous in damp forests, wetlands, and other shaded habitats.

• Wearing long trousers, long sleeve shirts, and closed shoes will protect you from most mosquitoes (including Tiger Mosquitos), you could also use a face net. 

• Mosquitoes are less common from late October to early April in the Carolinas, and seem to peak around July, August, or September. 

• Mow grass and reduce dense undergrowth near the home to keep mosquitoes further away from doorways or outdoor areas. Invasive plant infestations (privet, wisteria, kudzu) provide lots of cover for mosquitoes but not native predator.

• Use a handheld bug zapper to kill biting insects around you without chemicals, be advised that wands can generate a shock if touched so do not touch the grid when the light is on.

• Use approved repellents, or home remedies such as Clove Oil or herbal solutions to repel mosquitoes or deal with bites. Please read the instructions, and seek appropriate medical advice before using any repellent or home remedy as some things can cause allergic reactions. 

Cicadas

 Cicadas

Also check out the previous articles about frogs and butterflies. 

A close-up of a Dogday Cicada 

When the choruses of birds start to wane in the late spring, and frogs finish their courtship cycles, the forests and woodlands become quieter. By midsummer, the forests are alive with sound again, this time from singing insects. Crickets, katydids, and cicadas are among our most talented singers and their voices will take the place of songbirds from June onwards. Katydids and crickets sing at all times of day although the best song choruses take place from dusk to dawn. Cicadas are diurnal singers that can be heard at sunrise, during the heat of the day, and just before nightfall. Of the singing insects in the Carolinas, cicadas are among the most familiar and certainly the loudest of the bunch. Aside from their loud whining songs, the average person or even many nature lovers have very little understanding of these wonderful creatures. 

What is a Cicada

Cicadas are insects in the order Homoptera that are in the same grouping as true bugs, aphids, and  scale insects. These insects are rather long-lived with some insects having lifecycles that last more than 10 years. Like with butterflies, we are most familiar with the adult stage which typically lasts around a month. Adult cicadas are rather large insects  with hard exoskeletons, large wings, and eyes. They look like a creature from another world and their large size, and loud flight can be alarming to some people. However, cicadas are completely harmless and can be told from wasp species such as Bald Faced or Giant Hornets by their robust bodies, heads, and legs. Many cicadas have vivid color patterns and can be green or brown with an array of patterns and markings. There are seven species of cicadas known in the Carolinas with six of them being "annual cicadas" and the last one being the Linnaeus's 17-year Cicada. All species develop amongst tree roots and emerge from the ground after competing the nymph stage. In our area, Cicadas are active from late spring (around May 12th-13th in Wilmington) to early autumn (as late as October 20th) although the peak season is between the final weeks of July and mid-September. 

Lifecycle

Cicadas are are an example of a long-lived insect that can live anywhere from several years to nearly two decades. Other examples of long lived insects include some aquatic species, and a species of moth in the Arctic that needs several short summer cycles to emerge. Like the other insects, most of a cicada's lifetime is spent in the nymph stage where they feed on plant roots, grow, and molt. Once they complete their final molt, the nymphs will emerge from the ground and climb up tree trunks or a wall to harden. After that the insect leaves its former exoskeleton behind and is ready to fly. Adults live several weeks to a month and feed on plant juices using their piercing mouthparts. Male cicadas sing to attract potential mates. After that, the females lay eggs in tree branches or twigs and the cycle begins again. 

Annual or Periodical

There are two "types" of cicadas. The ones that most people are familiar with are the periodical cicadas which emerge in large numbers specific cycles. These cicadas can live as long as 17 years and have synchronized breeding cycles. During brood years, these insects emerge by the millions and can create a deafening roar from late spring to early summer. Many people assume that all cicadas emerge every 10-20 years and the insects heard each summer are different generations. In reality, the true Periodical Cicadas are only seen in specific years, in the Carolinas, every 13 or 17 years. Periodical Cicadas are part of the family Magicicada and are most prolific in the Appalachian Corridor and Interior East.  

The second and most commonly encountered cicada are the annual cicadas. These cicadas complete 1-2 year lifecycles and emerge every year. While some years may bring greater numbers of cicadas than others, you will see most of the species in our area annually. We have six or seven species of annual cicadas in the Cape Fear Region with all of them being numerous from June to September. Some species of cicadas such as Hieroglyphic Cicadas emerge early in the season and persist to autumn, while others like the Dogday, Dusk-Singing, and Scissor-Grinder Cicadas emerge later in the summer.  

Songs 

Adult cicadas sing loud whining or buzzy songs from late spring to autumn to attract potential mates. Each species of cicada has its own song and like birds and frogs, one could learn the differences between the songs with enough skill and passion. No other creature in our area produces the same type of noise as cicadas. They are also among the loudest animals in the Carolinas with a full chorus of annual cicadas being loud enough to drown out conversation or get one's attention in a park or woodland. However, the swarms of Periodical Cicadas are truly a sight and sound to behold, and the noise alone is deafening. Most species also have a flight call (usually a chirp or buzz). Cicadas differ from crickets and katydids in a number of ways. All species are diurnal singers meaning they only sing during the daytime hours (though many species sing at daybreak and nightfall). Katydids and crickets can be heard day or night but are most active after sunset, while many species are strictly nocturnal. The second difference is the sound itself. Cicadas produce a droning or staccato whine, buzz, or whirl (like a mechanical device or certain fire alarms), while katydids and crickets produce high pitched chirps, trills, and buzzes (some like an hum of an electrical arc or the click of a lawn sprinkler). Lastly, grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids produce noise with their legs, while  cicadas have special organs in their abdomens for sound. 

Ecological Role

                Cicada Habitats: Appalachian Hardwood Forest (left) Turkey Oaks and Pines (right)

Cicadas are an important part of the forest ecosystem and are a valuable food source and generate biomass in woodlands. All cicada species depend upon hardwood or certain coniferous trees for reproduction and their presence indicates a healthier forest or urban tree canopy. While there is the suspicion that cicadas can girdle forest or orchard trees, or damage wood products, they do not cause that much damage to trees. Nonnative bark and wood beetles such as the Asian Longhorn Beetle, and an introduced Pine Beetle are the real threats to forests, while other stressors such as drought, soil compaction, and deforestation pose greater harm to forests and cultivated trees than cicadas. Cicadas do not eat or bore into wood so they are no threat to human structures. As stated above, cicadas pose no danger to humans and are actually fascinating creatures. Population booms of annual cicadas or the emergence of periodical cicadas can lead to increases in songbird populations. 

Predators: Cicadas are eaten by a wide variety of animals although birds and mammals are the main predators. Adults are an easy food source for mid-sized and large birds such as Crested  Flycatchers, jays, tanagers, cuckoos, crows, ravens, and kites. Red Shouldered and Broad Winged Hawks as well as Kestrels will also prey on cicadas when they are around. Grey, Red, and Fox Squirrels, ground squirrels  weasels, bats, and certain mice or rats are just some of the mammals that will supplement their diets with cicadas. Probably the most interesting cicada hunter is a large but docile wasp known as the Cicada Killer Sphecius speciosus which is is common in our area from late May to September. These wasps look like Giant Hornets, are loud, and can be intimidating when they burrow into lawns or fly overhead. However, these wasps (like most of our solitary species) pose little harm to us, and are not only strong predators that can take down cicadas but are important pollinators.  Other kinds of wasps may also take down cicadas, as well as several robberfly species, dragonflies, and large orbweb spiders. The fascinating and completely harmless Ichneumon Wasps may also lay eggs on cicada nymphs by probing their ovipositors into the ground, although most species prey on horntails or wood beetles.

Detritus: Dead cicadas are a major source of biomass in forests and woodlands. After a cicada finishes its lifecycle and mates, the insect dies. The remains provide ample food for ants, isopods, earwigs, and other scavengers, while birds, squirrels and skinks may clean up recently deceased or dying cicadas. The ones that are not eaten will decompose and become part of the soil. Periodical cicadas emerge in such large numbers that the understory can be covered in dead insects after mating has concluded. 

Cicada Predators

Cicada Killer wasp with prey

Acadian Flycatcher

Golden Silk Weaver Spider

Cicada Species (Listen to examples at Song of Insects)

Hieroglyphic Cicada Neocicada hireoglyphica: The Hieroglyphic Cicada is our earliest annual cicada species to emerge and is often heard in the first or second week of May. This cicada persists through the summer and into autumn, indicating there may be several broods. The cicada itself is somewhat distinctive as its all green or turquoise with a yellow body, and is rather small. They live in treetops and are found in all types of woodlands including parks and neighborhoods. The song consists of several pulsing buzzes before it becomes steady for several seconds before tapering off. The pulsing sounds are comparable to a small electric motor revving up. Song Example

Swamp Cicada Tibicen chloromera: The Swamp Cicada id a dark colored cicada that is mostly found near wetlands, edges of meadows, and shrublands. They are among the few examples of Cicadas that live near the ground and are probably the species responsible for the exoskeletons found on sheds, fences, and plant stalks. They emerge in early summer and produce a pulsating buzz that lasts for up to 15 seconds. This cicada has a rather choppy song and is best compared to miniature compressor motor. Song Example

Linne's Cicada Tibicen linnei: The Linne's Cicada is another common species that is similar to the Swamp Cicada except greener and has clear wings. This species is found in deciduous or mixed forests, wood habitats, and in gardens from midsummer to autumn. Its shells can be found on buildings or walls like the Swamp Cicada. This species sings just before dusk. The song is comparable to a shaker and rises in volume before ending abruptly. Song Example

Scissor Grinder Cicada Tibicen pruinosa: The Scissor Grinder Cicada is a widespread species of Cicada that occurs across much of the Eastern and Midwestern United States and is likely present in our area as insect range maps are depended on collected samples. This cicada is rather large and is similar to the Linne's Cicada above. It lives in various woodland habitats or in gardens. Its song is an unmistakable chirping series that sounds like "Churrip-Churrip-Churrip" and lasts for up to 20 seconds. This song is heard from early July into September and can be heard in the heat of the day or at nightfall. Song Example

Dusk Singing Cicada Tibicen auletes: The Dusk Singing Cicada is a large cicada that is almost 5cm or 3" long and is one of the largest species in our area. This cicada emerges in mid to late summer and is one of the last species that can still be heard in the autumn. They  are found in a variety of Eastern Forests as well as in parks, gardens, and woodlots. They mostly sing just before nightfall and make a loud alarm call when chased by birds or startled. The song is a long rising series of buzzes that begins as a "dee dee deee deeee deeeeee deeeeee" before the buzz becomes continuous before fading out. It is low pitched and can sound like an aircraft getting a radar lock on a target (accelerating beep until a continuous tone). Song Example   

Dogday (Davis's) Cicada Tibicen canicularis: The Dogday Cicada is a fairly small  cicada that emerges from June and remains active well into September. These cicadas are aptly named for their tendency to sing during the heat of the day (along with the Swamp, Scissor Grinder, and Hieroglyphic Cicadas. It occurs in various types of forest but is particularly common around pines and oaks. This cicada produces a short but loud song that sounds like a power saw cutting wood. Large numbers of these cicadas can be quite overpowering. Song Example 

Lyric Cicada Tibicen lyricen: Lyric Cicadas are a mid to late season cicada that often comes out in July or August and is among the last species to remain active after Mid-September. This cicada is rather large and has a reddish or mahogany brown markings on its thorax. This cicada is found in various woodlands including parks and sings from sunrise to sunset with peak choruses occurring just before nightfall. This cicada produces a continuous trill that lasts for almost a minute and has no pulsing or chirping pattern. It can be mistaken for some katydids but the sheer volume of choruses is unmistakable. Song Example 

Linnaeus's Cicada Magicicada seeptendecim: The Linnaeus Cicada is one of the multiple species of periodical cicadas that occur in Eastern North America and the best studied of the group. This cicada is known as the 17-year cicada or locust because broods take 17 years to mature. Since this species has a synchronous breeding pattern, all members of a given population (usually within a local woodland or forest tract) will emerge and breed at once. This leads to thousands if not millions of insects being active over a 2-3 week period before the cycle restarts. Periodical cicada cycles bring an abundance of food for birds, predatory insects, and rodents, and rejuvenate forests when all of the adults die off and add to the biomass. These kinds of cicadas are sensitive to habitat loss and deforestation, logging, and use of insecticides can wipe out nymphs or adults, leading to local extinctions. It is not clear if we have we periodical cicada species in the Cape Fear Region, although the book I am using as a source Songs of Insects by Lang Elliot does place the Linnaeus Cicada in the Carolinas. More insect surveys are needed to improve range maps or separate similar species. This specie's song is a hollow whine that can be compared to a jetliner taxiing in the distance, or in nature, a chorus of Southern Toads. If you visit a forest during a brood year, the sound is unforgettable and is so loud that you can barely hear anything else. Song Example

Sources

1. The Song of Insects, Lang Elliot and Wil Hershberger, 2006, NatureSound Studio, New York Yew York.