A new week, a new update on our bat adventures!

Monday, July 15th, dusk.

Tonight we decided to wander up Quebec Ave and then Clendenan. As we walked along we were getting some faint action on our bat detector, but really didn’t see anything for quite a few blocks. When we hit the corner of Quebec and Humberside a large bat flew over us. This isn’t surprising as the night before we saw lots of bats in and around Humberside (high school) and the abandoned lawn bowling grounds a block away. I want to return there this week for more batty goodness!

Type of bats: Hoary bat? Big Brown Bat?
No. Mosquito bites: 2

Wednesday, July 17th, dusk

Tonight we saw and heard a lot of bats! I also got a lot of mosquito bites. We had a lot of rain and in combination with the humidity there are a lot of bitey bugs out.

We first walked west along Glenlake Ave. and as we approached Clendenan we saw two Big Brown Bats chasing each other. It was as if they were playing with each other. We then walked up Evelyn Ave towards Annette and heard quite a few bats. Next we made our way back over to High Park and there were a lot of noisy bats flying over. By this point, it was too dark to see them.

Overall, tonight was a good night for bat watching!

If you are curious about what a Big Brown Bat sounds like, check out OSU Bio Museum website.

https://u.osu.edu/biomuseum/2017/08/09/bat-sounds/

Type of bats: Big Brown Bat
No. Mosquito bites: 5

Thursday, July 18, dusk

Where are my bats at! We heard barely a peep tonight. There seemed to be a lot less bugs out, so maybe the bats weren’t having as much of a feast as last night. We did hear one bat on Pacific Ave. near Glenlake Ave. It swooped down really low, but it was too dark to see it. A disappointing night of bat adventures!

The one mosquito that was out… of course feasted on my right calf.

Type of bats: Big Brown Bat?
No. Mosquito bites: 1

Important: Do not handle bats. They can carry the rabies virus. Only those who have been properly vaccinated and have knowledge of bats should be handling them. If you find a bat in your home call a bat rescue. Do not call an exterminator, call a rescue. Bats are important for our environment. I have links below for rescues.

Types of bats in Ontario: https://onnaturemagazine.com/bat-guide.html
High Park Nature Centre: https://www.highparknature.org/wiki/wiki.php?n=Mammals.Bats
Bat rescues: http://www.ontariowildliferescue.ca/wildlifecentres/?care=bat

Saturday, July 20th, 9pm on

Nice night for a walk in a thunderstorm! It was super humid and we were getting some great bat action… then there was lightning and a down pour. We decided to head home. We were fortunate to see and hear several bats.

Type of bats: Big Brown Bat?
No. Mosquito bites: 0