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David in Normandy[_7_] 02-04-2009 01:20 PM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
While working in the garden over the last few days I've heard a sound
I've never heard before. It sounds like a cross between dry leaves
rustling and the tail of a rattle snake shaking - but a lot fainter
sound than such a snake. Not that there are any rattle snakes here in
Northern France! Any ideas what it is?

The sound is audible from around 20 feet away from whatever it is. The
sound lasts barely a second or two and is repeated at approximately 30
second to minute intervals. On following the sound to its origin it
stops. There is not sign of an animal so it must be an insect in the
grass. I have very sharp hearing and the sound is nothing like the
crickets we get here.

Any ideas what it is?

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

Sacha[_3_] 02-04-2009 01:34 PM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
On 2/4/09 12:20, in article , "David
in Normandy" wrote:

While working in the garden over the last few days I've heard a sound
I've never heard before. It sounds like a cross between dry leaves
rustling and the tail of a rattle snake shaking - but a lot fainter
sound than such a snake. Not that there are any rattle snakes here in
Northern France! Any ideas what it is?


Not even escapee pets?

The sound is audible from around 20 feet away from whatever it is. The
sound lasts barely a second or two and is repeated at approximately 30
second to minute intervals. On following the sound to its origin it
stops. There is not sign of an animal so it must be an insect in the
grass. I have very sharp hearing and the sound is nothing like the
crickets we get here.

Any ideas what it is?


Slow worms, grass snakes, frogs, some other kind of grass hopper? Ground
nesting bird? Borer bees/wasps?
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online


Charlie Pridham[_2_] 02-04-2009 02:31 PM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
In article ,
says...
While working in the garden over the last few days I've heard a sound
I've never heard before. It sounds like a cross between dry leaves
rustling and the tail of a rattle snake shaking - but a lot fainter
sound than such a snake. Not that there are any rattle snakes here in
Northern France! Any ideas what it is?

The sound is audible from around 20 feet away from whatever it is. The
sound lasts barely a second or two and is repeated at approximately 30
second to minute intervals. On following the sound to its origin it
stops. There is not sign of an animal so it must be an insect in the
grass. I have very sharp hearing and the sound is nothing like the
crickets we get here.

Any ideas what it is?


Leaf cutter bees, the sound I always think a little like a short burst
from a tiny sewing machine
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

moghouse 02-04-2009 02:54 PM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
On Apr 2, 12:20*pm, David in Normandy
wrote:
While working in the garden over the last few days I've heard a sound
I've never heard before. It sounds like a cross between dry leaves
rustling and the tail of a rattle snake shaking - but a lot fainter
sound than such a snake. Not that there are any rattle snakes here in
Northern France! Any ideas what it is?

The sound is audible from around 20 feet away from whatever it is. The
sound lasts barely a second or two and is repeated at approximately 30
second to minute intervals. On following the sound to its origin it
stops. There is not sign of an animal so it must be an insect in the
grass. I have very sharp hearing and the sound is nothing like the
crickets we get here.

Any ideas what it is?


Oh my God, aliens in the shrubbery!

Stephen Wolstenholme 02-04-2009 02:55 PM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
On Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:20:00 +0200, David in Normandy
wrote:

While working in the garden over the last few days I've heard a sound
I've never heard before. It sounds like a cross between dry leaves
rustling and the tail of a rattle snake shaking - but a lot fainter
sound than such a snake. Not that there are any rattle snakes here in
Northern France! Any ideas what it is?

The sound is audible from around 20 feet away from whatever it is. The
sound lasts barely a second or two and is repeated at approximately 30
second to minute intervals. On following the sound to its origin it
stops. There is not sign of an animal so it must be an insect in the
grass. I have very sharp hearing and the sound is nothing like the
crickets we get here.

Any ideas what it is?


Alfalfa bee? The other possible is a cicada practicing for the
breeding season.

Steve

--
Neural Planner Software Ltd www.NPSL1.com

Judith in France 02-04-2009 04:31 PM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
On Apr 2, 12:20*pm, David in Normandy
wrote:
While working in the garden over the last few days I've heard a sound
I've never heard before. It sounds like a cross between dry leaves
rustling and the tail of a rattle snake shaking - but a lot fainter
sound than such a snake. Not that there are any rattle snakes here in
Northern France! Any ideas what it is?

The sound is audible from around 20 feet away from whatever it is. The
sound lasts barely a second or two and is repeated at approximately 30
second to minute intervals. On following the sound to its origin it
stops. There is not sign of an animal so it must be an insect in the
grass. I have very sharp hearing and the sound is nothing like the
crickets we get here.

Any ideas what it is?

--
David in Normandy. *
* *To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
* *subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
* *by a filter and not reach my inbox.


Perhaps a mouse, vermin amongst dry leaves? If you want a laugh, we
were woken up last night by a slight intermittent noise, we couldn't
identify it, so went back to sleep. This morning at intervals of
around 30 seconds there was a high microsecond noise. I said it was
the death watch beetle in the beams come back to life as they make an
odd noise. Eventually, we traced it to the third floor, it was the
carbon monoxide meter beeping as it was at the end of it's life!
Moral of the story, buy one for each floor not just one for the house
as it was barely audible.

Judith

Bob Hobden 02-04-2009 06:05 PM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 

"Judith in France" wrote
David in Normandy wrote:
While working in the garden over the last few days I've heard a sound
I've never heard before. It sounds like a cross between dry leaves
rustling and the tail of a rattle snake shaking - but a lot fainter
sound than such a snake. Not that there are any rattle snakes here in
Northern France! Any ideas what it is?

The sound is audible from around 20 feet away from whatever it is. The
sound lasts barely a second or two and is repeated at approximately 30
second to minute intervals. On following the sound to its origin it
stops. There is not sign of an animal so it must be an insect in the
grass. I have very sharp hearing and the sound is nothing like the
crickets we get here.

Any ideas what it is?


Perhaps a mouse, vermin amongst dry leaves? If you want a laugh, we
were woken up last night by a slight intermittent noise, we couldn't
identify it, so went back to sleep. This morning at intervals of
around 30 seconds there was a high microsecond noise. I said it was
the death watch beetle in the beams come back to life as they make an
odd noise. Eventually, we traced it to the third floor, it was the
carbon monoxide meter beeping as it was at the end of it's life!
Moral of the story, buy one for each floor not just one for the house
as it was barely audible.

You only need one near a gas appliance I was told.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden





David in Normandy[_7_] 02-04-2009 09:23 PM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
Sacha wrote:

Slow worms, grass snakes, frogs, some other kind of grass hopper? Ground
nesting bird? Borer bees/wasps?


Thanks for the replies everyone. This little mystery looks like it will
remain unsolved for the moment as there are so many candidates for the
noise. I'll see if I can find the sound of each creature suggested on
the web. I think the sound may be some sort of mating call or territory
thing as two of them were taking it in turns to make the sound, one each
side of me. They seem to like the hot sunny weather we've been having here.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

Rusty_Hinge[_2_] 02-04-2009 09:46 PM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
The message
from Martin contains these words:

An escaped crocodile or a gnu gnashing it's teeth? A randy Frenchman
rubbing his
thighs together?


Random Frenchmen don't do that, they usually do it with a Frenchwoman's
thighs.

In the long grass.

HTH

and HAND

--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

Rusty_Hinge[_2_] 02-04-2009 10:34 PM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
The message
from David in Normandy contains these words:

While working in the garden over the last few days I've heard a sound
I've never heard before. It sounds like a cross between dry leaves
rustling and the tail of a rattle snake shaking - but a lot fainter
sound than such a snake. Not that there are any rattle snakes here in
Northern France! Any ideas what it is?


Grasshopper?

--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

Sacha[_3_] 03-04-2009 12:02 AM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
On 2/4/09 20:23, in article , "David
in Normandy" wrote:

Sacha wrote:

Slow worms, grass snakes, frogs, some other kind of grass hopper? Ground
nesting bird? Borer bees/wasps?


Thanks for the replies everyone. This little mystery looks like it will
remain unsolved for the moment as there are so many candidates for the
noise. I'll see if I can find the sound of each creature suggested on
the web. I think the sound may be some sort of mating call or territory
thing as two of them were taking it in turns to make the sound, one each
side of me. They seem to like the hot sunny weather we've been having here.


Big stretch, David because I have no idea if they make a noise but I do
remember visiting friends in France and seeing plenty of glow worms.
They're so rarely seen now in England.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online


Judith in France 03-04-2009 12:41 AM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
On Apr 2, 5:05*pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Judith in France" *wrote
*David in Normandy wrote:

While working in the garden over the last few days I've heard a sound
I've never heard before. It sounds like a cross between dry leaves
rustling and the tail of a rattle snake shaking - but a lot fainter
sound than such a snake. Not that there are any rattle snakes here in
Northern France! Any ideas what it is?


The sound is audible from around 20 feet away from whatever it is. The
sound lasts barely a second or two and is repeated at approximately 30
second to minute intervals. On following the sound to its origin it
stops. There is not sign of an animal so it must be an insect in the
grass. I have very sharp hearing and the sound is nothing like the
crickets we get here.


Any ideas what it is?


Perhaps a mouse, vermin amongst dry leaves? *If you want a laugh, we
were woken up last night by a slight intermittent noise, we couldn't
identify it, so went back to sleep. *This morning at intervals of
around 30 seconds there was a high microsecond noise. *I said it was
the death watch beetle in the beams come back to life as they make an
odd noise. *Eventually, we traced it to the third floor, it was the
carbon monoxide meter beeping as it was at the end of it's life!
Moral of the story, buy one for each floor not just one for the house
as it was barely audible.

You only need one near a gas appliance I was told.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden


I could barely hear it Bob, if it was a real alarm, rather than the
end of the battery life,would we have heard it?

Des Higgins 03-04-2009 11:12 AM

Strange insect sound in the garden
 
On Apr 2, 8:23*pm, David in Normandy wrote:
Sacha wrote:
Slow worms, grass snakes, frogs, some other kind of grass hopper? *Ground
nesting bird? *Borer bees/wasps?


Thanks for the replies everyone. This little mystery looks like it will
remain unsolved for the moment as there are so many candidates for the
noise. I'll see if I can find the sound of each creature suggested on
the web. I think the sound may be some sort of mating call or territory
thing as two of them were taking it in turns to make the sound, one each
side of me. They seem to like the hot sunny weather we've been having here.

--


Most grasshoppers and many outdoor crickets (e.g. bush crickets) make
noises of one kind or another. This is to attract mates and/or tell
others to bugger off. These noises range from the loud continuous
brrrrrrrrrrrr kind to very soft intermittent ones. There are tons of
species of both in France so I have no idea where to begin to find out
out which species except by catching one. They do have a habit of
freezing if you come too close and tend to be well camouflaged.
Having a territorial/mating song is a mixed blessing; it leaves you
vulnerable to predators finding you so they tend to hide if you get
too close. You just have to decide to devote a solid hour some day
and get your reading glasses out and lie on your face as near as
possible to where the noise is coming from and stalk one. OR (less
practical advice this I realise :-), get a big beating net from an
entomological suppliers and bash the vegetation and see what you can
get. Grashoppers look like tiny locusts; bush crickets are long
legged things that are often bright green and may have a long tail.
Google images of both to see.
e.g.
http://pbc.codehog.co.uk/bhs/pics/20...l06_800_20.jpg
http://www.insectopia.co.uk/Grasshop...rasshopper.jpg
Here are some sounds
http://www.naturesongs.com/cricket1.wav
Des



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