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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. |
#2
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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 |
#4
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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! |
#5
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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 |
#6
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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 |
#7
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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 |
#8
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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. |
#9
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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 |
#10
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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 |
#11
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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 |
#12
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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? |
#13
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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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