12 Months of the Metroparks: August

8.5.2026

By Erin Parker, Interpretive Services Supervisor

August in Michigan is a month of contradictions: the typical weather is hot and humid, punctuated with late afternoon thunderstorms that may briefly cool things down before the humidity rises and starts the cycle all over again. This is peak summer weather in the Midwest.

But much like students returning to school before the calendar flips to September, things in the natural world are starting to look and sound a bit more like autumn!

Summer soundscape

Spring’s soundscape is all about the birds!  April through June, a huge influx of birds returns from their wintering grounds to join our year-round Michigan residents seeking mates and warning off rivals through their song. Rising before the sun rewards us with the “dawn chorus” of bird song that fills our woods, wetlands, and prairies. By August, with songbirds wrapping up their nesting seasons, the drive to sing and fight off other birds has diminished. But almost as soon as the bird songs quiet, the insect chorus warms up and quickly takes center stage.

Starting in July and lasting through the hard frosts of October or November, the natural world’s sounds are primarily insects. Hot afternoons are prime time for our annual cicadas to start their loud song, and after dark they are joined by katydids and crickets.

Annual cicadas, often called “dog day cicadas,” emerge during late July and August. This hot part of summer, referred to as the dog days, corresponds with Sirius, the dog star, being the brightest star in the sky, and the constellation Canis Major, or greater dog, is visible again. Their songs are a loud, raspy, buzzing, and rising call that can be deafening in close proximity to these often-hidden singers.

At dusk and well into the dark, katydids and crickets join in the chorus. Nighttime temperatures impact the calls, with the rate of the song of many of these insects faster in warmer temperatures and slowing with the onset of cooler temperatures in the fall!

Luckily, while it can be challenging to locate these insects visually, they aren’t hard to hear. Most call from trees or shrubs, and many species are just as at home in urban and suburban green spaces as they are forest edges. Some species are more likely to be found in wetlands, so keep an ear out for a different set of sounds as you enjoy evening adventures in the Metroparks.

On the wing

August is also a month of dragons! Dragonflies and their close relatives, the damselflies, are out in force by August. Both groups spend their larval stage in the water; some of the larger species even overwinter and spend a second year growing before emerging as an adult.

Both underwater and in the air, dragonflies and damselflies are voracious predators of other insects, arachnids, and, as aquatic larvae, even tadpoles.

Dragonflies tend to be larger overall with stockier, larger bodies and stronger flight. When dragonflies land, they typically hold their 2 pairs of wings out to the side. Damselflies are smaller and more delicate, with fluttery, weaker flight. They usually fold their wings up in line with their bodies.  Damselflies and dragonflies come in many shapes, sizes, and colors- and often the male and female of the same species have different coloration from one another. And then, in some species, the juveniles may have yet another coloration! There are 172 species of damsel and dragonflies in Michigan…so while they may be easy to find, they are also more challenging to learn and identify!

Fall migration

And, much like those kids heading back to class, August sees the first of the fall migrating birds moving back south to their winter homes. Fall migration is a quieter, drabber affair than the spring homecoming. As birds fledge their young, the adults start prepping for their journeys southward. But they’re frequently in their duller, nonbreeding plumage and without the urge to sing that drives them in the spring. August twilights are a good time to see big migrations of nighthawks, a large, mostly nocturnal bird that feeds on insects. They gather in large flocks as they migrate in the fall, and learning their “peent” call can help you notice them flying over. Many other species start south in August, as well, though often they’re flying after dark and are harder to see and hear than the nighthawks.

Urban birders can enjoy the spectacle of chimney swifts “swirling” into their nighttime roosts. Once, these insect-eating birds would roost in huge, hollow trees. But with fewer trees and more structures like chimneys, they shifted to utilizing human structures. In the fall, during their migration, they gather in huge numbers and share these structures as communal roost sites. Bird watchers and nature enthusiasts can gather at twilight to watch the birds swirl around the sky and then dive into their nighttime abode!

Resources:

Listen to a variety of cicada calls here: https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=ZDYO_KGWLqU

Learn some of the common katydid calls here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxIzRw1BToI

Calls of a wide variety of singing insects can be heard here: https://songsofinsects.com/

A checklist of all 172 dragonflies and damselflies in Michigan can be found here: https://www.michodonata.org/michigan-checklist/