Chasing Bats at Congaree – Episode 6
While walking around Congaree with antenna in hand, strangers often ask what I’m listening for. I tell them, Bats! Some understand how telemetry works and others don’t. A few thought I could hear their high pitched sounds with that grand ole antenna I was lugging. This episode aims to dispel the misconceptions and show you the cool tools we use to listen for bats.
The antenna is a conversation starter. While most of my steps are off trail, I use the boardwalks and trails as highways to traverse the landscape quickly. This is where I bump into the public. Many people are curious to know what I’m listening for. I love telling them that I’m listening for bats! Some are satisfied with the simple answer and the more inquisitive initiate conversation.
Most people I talk to are very supportive of the research we are doing in Congaree National Park. Many want to learn more and will talk for a while. I’ve even had people thank me for the work we are doing with bats. There are only a handful that are uninterested – maybe even intimidated by my presence. Introversion aside, I can understand how the bearded guy lurking on the boardwalk, wearing waders, waving that big ass antenna could be frightening!
The biggest misconception is that I can hear the sounds that bats make with my antenna and receiver. This method, known as radio telemetry, allows me to hear the beep of a transmitter that we previously attached to a bat during a previous netting night. When I carry the small antenna, I have a range of a little more than 500 meters. The large antenna will pick up a signal out to about one kilometer – depending on terrain, weather, and other interference. We try to cover as much ground as possible, starting in the vicinity of the last netting night and searching outward, to locate the “transmittered” bat. We are curious to see how they are using the landscape.
We do have the capability to record the actual, mostly inaudible, sounds that bats make. We deploy these devices in areas that bats are known to use. Once a week, we download the data that was gathered. Obviously, we can determine the presence or absence of bat activity in the area. Sometimes, however, we can identify the actual species!