The first fireflies

Growing up in Texas, we didn't have fireflies.  Nor did we have any in the San Francisco Bay Area (California), where I was a graduate student. 

But in Maryland, where I was a post-doc at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, in Edgewater, they lit up the night.  At all levels, from ground level to up in the trees (it's a species-specific thing about what level in the forest they are).  What a treat! 

We rented a house for almost eight years while we continued to do research there (the owners were artists who went to Provincetown, MA for the summer), and it was an amazing display every summer.  There were flashes at all levels of the forest throughout June.

So I was delighted to see them this evening (at ground level) back home in the Piedmont. 

An evening walk with Woody (happily freed from total rest and OK'd for half-mile a day walks today post a partially-torn knee ligament) found me enjoying flashes galore. 

And a crescent moon and a lovely sunset rounded out an enjoyable day (complete with a bunch of curious 7th graders on a field trip earlier this afternoon).

Hard to beat.


Comments

  1. I think the fireflies are out early this year just like plants. I have seen a few already, but they usually don't come out until late June & July.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Swimray,
    I think you're right. We didn't see those fireflies in the Maryland forests until late into June, so late May is definitely early.
    Lisa

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