The nocturnal symphony

We both noticed how few insects of any sort were evident in Germany.  Very few pollinators, even when suitable flowers were present.

We chalked it up (initially) to being in a much more urban environment in Freiburg, but it was true in the countryside, both in the vineyards and in the Schwarzwald.  Europe is much less biodiverse than North America because of glaciation, but it still seemed quiet.

A full moon from years ago

So it was nice to come back to the nocturnal symphony that's part of our evenings in the Southeastern U.S.  Field crickets, katydids, cicadas, and tree frogs all form part of the chorus as the evening progresses.

We missed the lightning beetles earlier in the summer -- they're part of the Southeastern U.S. summer, too.

A search on "nocturnal symphony" in past posts brought up quite a few hits. 

When I was still at the botanical garden as an educator, I did full moon night hikes;  the nocturnal symphony was always something that I interpreted.

So it's special here, to hear the night rhythms, played out by insects, amphibians, and occasional birds and mammals,