Creature Feature!

It has been ages since we did a creature feature on this blog, even though we have had some awesome creatures to feature!  Early this spring, for example, we found this VERY LARGE bullfrog on the road.  It was half frozen during one of the many cold snaps following very warm weather that we have had this year.  :o/  Really ready for the weather to settle down here now.  This was a huge frog...we put her in the upstairs shower for a few days until it was warm enough for her outside again.
Pic of her with the girls' hands:

We have also had an incredible year for monarchs.  Most springs we don't see that many, but the odd weather this year has had loads of them passing through here.  Uncountable numbers!  Fall usually brings monarchs through here, spring not so many.  We have really been enjoying seeing them.   We have also seen quite a few different birds we don't normally get.  This year, lots of unusual things...quite a few bald eagles, many different warblers, a pair of rufous-sided towhees and a scissor-tailed flycatcher to name just a few.

BUT the real news is...the cicadas are hatching!  Not just any cicadas mind you!  The red eyed ones!  The ones that only come around every 13 years...Magicicada species! 
See these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magicicada
http://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/
http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/Michigan_Cicadas/Periodical/Index.html
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/mar/19/cicadas-are-back/?print
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/steincarter/cicadas.htm
But, you' can find loads more info about them on the internet, in case you are interested.

They are really cool! 

They are also really noisy (much more so than their common ordinary cousins.)

And they will be really numerous in the years when they hatch.  We are seeing quite a few already. 
My kids are actually excited about this.  (Well, the country life, you know.)

Hope some show up where you are...

Amy