Summer in the Berkshires Means Continuous Chirping from ‘Chippy.’ Why Do They Do That?

You can tell it's summer in the Berkshires. Sure, we have the warm weather, full leaves on the trees, people outside mowing their lawns, etc., but another big sign that summer is here is all the chipmunks that are running around.

It seems like wherever I go, I'm constantly seeing chipmunks. Naturally, they are all over my front and back yards, making holes and peeking their heads out of those holes. But even if there are times that I don't see them, I know chipmunks are around because I can hear them, and I mean really hear them.

It seems like every morning, I'm constantly hearing a high-pitched sound that goes on for a long time. The sound just continues. Lo and behold, that sound is coming from a chipmunk. Because I kept hearing it (and still do), I wondered what that particularly high-pitched chirping sound meant. According to a few internet sources, the rapid chirping sound is to alert other chipmunks that there is potential danger and/or predators nearby.

This makes sense since there are all sorts of animals around, especially in the summer, including snakes, cats, foxes, and even humans. When a chipmunk feels threatened or in danger, out comes the high-pitched chirp chirp sounds. Does the noise in the video below sound familiar to you?

Have you heard the chirping noise yet this year? I guess a better question would be, how can you not? Yep, you can tell summer is here in Berkshire County when there is non-stop chirping throughout the day. Now, go enjoy the weather and stick in some earplugs.