Backyard Nature: Listen for the ‘fairy bell in the woods’

The next time you walk through or by a leaf-covered area such as tree boxes, yards and Rock Creek Park, stop for a moment and listen.

If your ears are not encumbered by earbuds, you might hear a tinkling sound.

It is the tinkling ground cricket, and you can listen to a sample here. Rachel Carson called it the “fairy bell in the woods.”

The tinkling ground cricket (photo by Judy Gallagher from Wikimedia Commons)

Depending on the temperature, we’ll hear the cricket’s notes five to 8 times per second. It sings slower when colder and faster when it’s warmer.

Are you hearing any interesting sounds of nature on your walks?