Miller Creek Bat Survey | MPG Ranch

Miller Creek Bat Survey

October 18, 2017

Kate Stone shares images and mist net capture results from bat research in Miller Creek

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Bat Report: Miller Creek Kate Stone

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On the evening of August 15, we set up mist nets in the same area to capture bats and assess them for species, age, sex, reproductive status, and signs of white nose syndrome.

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Upon emergence for the evening, bats often head to water to rehydrate. We placed mist nets over three sections of the creek

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In one area, we set two nets in a line, with one set directly over the creek, and the other set in a gap in vegetation.

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The open meadow and riparian area we sampled was bounded by conifer forest on both sides. We expected this area to attract bats from multiple vegetation communities.

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We opened our nets just after sunset, and captured bats somewhat continuously until midnight. We caught 14 individuals of four species

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A silver-haired bat displays its namesake pelage.

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We caught three large big brown bats, known for their feistiness

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We will analyze our acoustic information this winter, providing us with additional information on species’ distribution and timing of activities.

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We thank volunteer Lewis Young for his help with bat capture and processing in Miller Creek.

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