Shadow Hunters Contest Round 173 Entry ~ Cicadas and A First ... Maybe?

avatar

This is my entry in the Shadow Hunters Contest Round 173 which is hosted by @melinda010100! You can learn more about the Shadow Hunters Contest and how to enter HERE!

I took these photos in my back yard and this first photo is my entry for the contest!

shadowhunters6-5-2021-1ok.jpg

I only did a few edits for this post and this is the first one. It is an edit that I did of my entry photo. I really loved how the Cicada wing came out in the edit. It reminds me of having a stained glass look. I went with the original as my entry though because I believe the shadow, which should be the focus, came out slightly better looking in the original with the wing in the shadow showing a bit more definition.

shadowhunters6-5-2021-2ok.jpg

My photos for this post were taken in the early emergence of the 17 year Brood X Cicadas and my photos show just one Cicada that was throwing off a very nice shadow. I did take many photos of the Cicadas and I do have other photos that feature Cicadas and their shadows so I will probably be featuring these Brood X little creatures in another Shadow Hunters post ... or two!

shadowhunters6-5-2021-3ok.jpg

Now, here is maybe a first as I don't know if this has been presented in a Shadow Hunters post previously. It is a short gif featuring a different Cicada along with its shadow. I don't know if it's been done before so if not then it has been now! 😉

These 17 year Brood X Cicadas are known as periodical Cicadas because the only come out periodically. Later in summer we will get the annual Cicadas but they will come in much smaller numbers than the periodical Cicadas.

shadowhunters6-5-2021-4ok.jpg

shadowhunters6-5-2021-5ok1.gif

This is my last photo and edit for this post. The edit is a kaleidoscope gif that I made with the first photo that I edited. I've really (mostly) enjoyed seeing these little buggers arrive and soon they will be leaving for another 17 years. The last couple of days while outside I had a few fly into me which I don't mind too much but I don't feel so much the same as when they fly in my hair or face which they did fly into my face a couple of times today. Makes it kinda' hard to get a video of them when I jerk the camera violently and use a choice word or two. Like I said ... "I've really (mostly) enjoyed seeing these little buggers arrive"! 😏

shadowhunters6-5-2021-6ok.jpg

shadowhunters6-5-2021-7okgif.gif

Thank you @melinda010100 for the Shadow Hunters Contest and thank you also to all of the sponsors and guest judges!!
All photos and text by me @deerjay. All rights reserved.

TEAMUSA-hive_footer_blue_deerjay.jpg



0
0
0.000
8 comments
avatar

They are such fascinating insects! Your shadow photos are great and I love the edits. I think we are a couple years off from our big hatch, if it is truly 17 years. Thanks for entering the Shadow Contest!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thanks so much Melinda!! Yes, I read that the timing is different for different states. They are pretty spot on for the years but our emergence was delayed by a few weeks due to a cold snap that we had here. Then once they started coming up we had a two day cold snap with rain which put them in kind of a slumber (it also killed some). They have since rebounded though and it is quite the swarm outside. Some people hate their singing or buzzing but I don't mind it. I may be away next week where there won't be any but I hope they are still around singing when I get back. 🙂

0
0
0.000
avatar

Lovely shadow of the Cicada Dee and his wing turned out nicely in the shadow.💕

Amazing these ones only surface every 17 years. Love how their eyes stand out.

Love the video.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thanks so much Jo!! I kid you not, I tried to get a video today cause they were the loudest that they've been so far but the little buggers swarmed me. It was a little unsettling and I had to retreat to the inside. Either they really loved me or really hated me..lol. I was hoping they would still be around when I got back from where I am going next week but now I'm not so sure. I may still post the video when I get back cause it was kinda funny with me pretty much running for the hills so to speak..lol. 🤨💞

0
0
0.000
avatar

All those cicadas in your garden are very handy when it comes to taking photos for specific contests. Nice shots.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thanks so much @angiemitchell!! I still haven't gotten around to my big post on them but hopefully soon. 😉💖

0
0
0.000
avatar

you must have waited a long time to get those nice shots. 17 years? i like the red eyes- and your edits

0
0
0.000
avatar

Lol..thank you very much @eolianpariah!! Yep, every 17 years the re-eyed ones make an appearance. Later in summer the annual Cicadas will show up but in much much smaller numbers..thank goodness! 😉

0
0
0.000