Tonight is the summer solstice and as I write a cool front is pushing through. The clouds from the passing front have darkened the nearing full moon. It has been hot this past week, mid summer heat. To early. It has also been dry this month of June. The exact opposite of May when I recorded almost 9 inches of rain in one week. My yard went from a swamp then to bone dry now.
Most surprising has been the fireflies over the past weeks. So far tonight the fireflies have been out in good numbers. This is perhaps the best night of lightning bugs in my yard I’ve seen so far this year. Very nice show. I would not have guessed it would be like this a month ago.
Two years ago I had a very wet May much like this year. It was my observation then that the swampy ground was not something the fireflies liked. They were non existent and never put on much of a show. The same situation seemed to be unfolding this year as well. After the wet May I saw few if any fireflies. But over the last week the nightly numbers have rapidly climbed. Perhaps they favor this hot and dry weather my area has been stuck in. I am not sure what exactly influences their behavior but its fun to watch them. A yard full of fireflies is a simple pleasure. A treat you get to experience for a short while before they slowly disappear until the next year.