Eastern pipistrelle – Michael Antonishak

CHASING BATS AT CONGAREE – EPISODE 8

I write to you while sitting on the banks of the Congaree River in seventy degree weather. This was a week of extremes! Snowmageddon was a dud but it left us with temperatures in the twenties. Netting was canceled due to the inclement weather; therefore, I was not tracking bats this week. Instead, I was after random trees and checking roost-tree cavities. Ice formed on much of the water and I had an interesting time walking through the flooded areas of the park. The weather warmed as the week progressed, however. Through the week, along with my daily assignments, my eyes and ears were open for the sights and sounds inside the park. Friday was a beautiful night to net for bats. With the addition of Will, our roommate, Piper and I had extra help and I was able to shoot some video of us handling bats!

Continue reading “Sights, Sounds, & Netting for Bats”

Chasing Bats at Congaree – Episode 7

It’s always bittersweet leaving family and friends back home to embark upon adventure. The same was true after spending the holidays at home and returning to Congaree. I’m two out of five months into this assignment. I’m happy to report that I continue to be enriched by this experience.

It’s true, first week back after the holidays, I was greeted with high water and threats of Snowmageddon looming in the forecast. The heavy rains on my travel back down to South Carolina certainly foreshadowed the rise of Cedar Creek. The high water certainly keeps things interesting and adds additional challenge to the job but I’m having fun nonetheless. Snow was in the forecast and I enjoyed listening to the media insight panic among the populace. I couldn’t laugh too hard at the weather wimps of South Carolina because the same excitement happens back home in Pennsylvania with every snow event.

Continue reading “High Water & Snowmageddon”