For my last installment of this theme, I’m going to tell you more about the bat work that we are doing in Yellowstone. There is more than the acoustic project in the Maple Fire and Buffalo Fire burn areas. Day and night, there is bat work to be done — from summer acoustic stations to bat capture! Continue reading “Vampires and Daywalkers”
Tag: Bats
Bats and Fire
Bats and fire, what an interesting combination. I recall being excited when hearing of this project back in May. Our mission was to set up some acoustic stations in and around areas burned by wildfire with the intention of discovering how bats are using these altered landscapes. In this post, I’m going to stick with the current theme and tell you more about my work in Yellowstone and my involvement in this project. Continue reading “Bats and Fire”
Bat Capture at Buffalo Ranch
The sun goes down and the net comes up at Buffalo Ranch. This past Wednesday, we did a roost capture in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone. In this picture, we are waiting to deploy the triple high net. Once the they emerged, we captured sixty of the nearly three hundred female little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) that are using the attic as a roost. Associates and visitors of Buffalo Ranch expressed their curiosity as we caught and extracted the bats from the net. I was delighted to see such interest from non-scientists.
Townsend’s big-eared bat
On Wednesday night, I was reminded of the reason that I came to Yellowstone. We caught a Townsend’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii), a rare species to be found in the park and the first encounter for me.
A Summer in Yellowstone
This summer, I’m living and working in Yellowstone National Park! I’m very grateful for this opportunity and I am proud of myself for working hard to get myself here. “A Summer in Yellowstone” is a new blog series that I created to share my experience. Continue reading “A Summer in Yellowstone”
A Life Plan That is Working
Fieldnote 4
January 14, 2017
Congaree National Park – Bates Ferry
I’m enjoying a Saturday afternoon break. Today, I began the final push to wrap up the glow stick project. A couple hours in front of the computer, I had to get outdoors. I’m not used to spending that much time staring at the monitor or sitting in one spot for that much time. Nothing wrong with a slight diversion, right?
Bates Ferry Trail provided the break that I needed. It’s only a little over a mile from the trailhead down to the river and it’s a quiet, seldom used trail. I doubt that I will see another soul out here.
On the bank of the Congaree River, I am writing. My life back home seems so far away. It’s cold there and this afternoon, it’s warm here. I’ve never spent a January like this. I am warm and comfortable as I sit in my flannel shirt. I’m contemplating what to do next – maybe Alaska!
Life has changed so much since quitting my job at Pride Mobility. Times may have been rough in that year between then and school but I survived. Continuing my education, I had a vague direction; I didn’t know where this path would lead. I’m happy that it lead here – the outdoors.
My career is unfolding before me. I made a life plan that is working. I earned my education and identified great opportunities along the way. It has been fulfilling. For instance, last night, I was netting for bats at Congaree National Park in South Carolina. I do good work and the experience is rewarding. Five years ago, I could not imagine the possibility!
A thousand miles away on the shores of the Congaree River. Who would have thought? Maybe one day, it will be at the very top of the Alaskan Highway or out west somewhere. For now, I am content to sit in the warm sun, chasing bats through the swamp, and finishing my manuscript.
I am forever grateful to those who have supported me on this journey. A career in wildlife isn’t an easy one, but the reward is grand. I could have never attained this success without you.
~ Michael
Piggies of the Floodplain
Chasing Bats at Congaree – Episode 11
With less than a week remaining, it’s hard to believe that five months have passed! Although I absolutely enjoyed this chapter, I’m eager to head home to my old stomping grounds, see my loved ones, and pursue my next adventure.
In this episode, I present some video of the feral pigs that I encounter almost daily in Congaree. More accurately, they are animals that have descended from domesticated pigs and have established a population in the wild. While relatively benign to park visitors and me, they negatively impact the ecosystem by out-competing native species and extensively disturbing the forest floor. Often, such as the case in Congaree, they have no natural predators to restrict their growth. I have mixed feelings about them like I do with most invasive species.
There’s a Raccoon on My Log
Chasing Bats at Congaree – Episode 10
Over a month has passed since I’ve posted an update to my vlog. Lately, I’ve been very busy at work and on my free time. During the past several weeks, I’ve been in a hurry to capture canopy photos and survey vegetation plots throughout the study area before leaf-out. Spring arrived a few weeks early and shortened the timetable to complete this work. Searching for the next adventure, many of my off hours have been spent on the job hunt. Lately, I haven’t had much time to relax.
This hectic period certainly doesn’t mean that I wasn’t enjoying my time outdoors. My travels often took me to new places in the park and I watched Congaree come alive in the essence of springtime.
One of my favorite moments was a visit from a raccoon. I was sitting quietly on a log, consulting my notes, when I heard something walking towards me. Oblivious to my presence, a raccoon walked near. I stealthily employed my phone to capture some video of the close encounter. Certainly, I did not think that I would be sharing the log with this visitor!
Why Bats?
Chasing Bats at Congaree – Episode 9
For a while now, I wanted to do a “why bats” video. Not until I got half way through the first draft would I settle on a direction for this episode. My first thought was to make an educational piece. I began amassing content to talk about the order’s evolutionary adaptations, the ecosystem services that bats provide, and dispel many of the widely held myths. However, I decided to scrap that idea. You can google that information anyway! Instead, I wanted to share my experience and tell you why I like to work with bats.
Sights, Sounds, & Netting for Bats
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!