Bat House Forum

[Joe Spencer]

Hi Frank what a small world are we on the same page or what? I sent it to her this morning not knowing you had! LOL Here is Dianne's reply below and she is of the opinion of Big Brown's too which makes your guano size/matching information even more puzzling. Nice to confirm Mexican though. We'll get there:

Hi Joe,

Thanks for writing! I was looking for a really good picture I have of freetails in a roosting pouch to send you but I think I have it on my home computer and not here – it shows their faces and ears unmistakably. You definitely have Mexican free-tailed bats in these pictures -- one of the give-aways is the way the ears almost meet in the middle of the head -- it always looks like some kind of a flying nun get-up to me! It also looks like big browns to me, because of the size and also the broadness of the muzzles.

Hope this helps! I’ll send you that picture if I can remember to forward to myself at work.

Best,

Dianne

Dianne Odegard

Conservation Information Specialist

Bat Conservation International, Inc.

[Cheryl]

I think this is all awesome!

[cloudman75]

Please all look at the attached photo 100 2824 jpg and tell me what you think these bats are. This is a better photo than previous one. All comments on the brown bats appreciated.


Thanks,

Frank

[cloudman75]

Joe,
I took this photo tonight. They still look like little browns to me and the droppings match LBs. There are not many droppings for this number of bats I would normally expect.The photo tonight is much better I think. Terry, I would like your opinion also after viewing this photo. I shined a light up into the house a few minutes ago, no
freetails and no big browns of the size I had in spring. Of course free tails fly most of the night I read and feed way high in the sky. I'll check on them before they exit with a light tomorrow. This has been exciting to me although my confidence is shaken as for my bat recognition abilities. I appreciate all the help.

Frank

[Joe Spencer]

Frank, without my glasses I am practically useless. I bought my next pair at BJ's and must wait two weeks. UGh. Did you take this photo in a higher resolution then shrink it? Or did you take it at this smaller resolution on the camera. We may be able to get a better view of the tragus which helps distinguish. Also big Browns have a keeled calcar (rear/tail of bat) which little brown usually lack. Latter does us no good unless you had a dead bat fall out. If you could post this latest picture in a higher resoloution 1-3 megapixel it would be much easier and I will see if I can borrow my sisters magnifying glasses for help. Good picture but too small for me to help. Frank, how close are you to a water source for these bats? Do you ever take/save any big brown guano? The Guano always distinguishes little brown from big browns. This latest photo though I can't see it well is now making me consider little browns taking consideration of the guano size comparison and the lighter fur beneath but that could be as a result of the camera flash. CAn you collect some guano and put it beside a quarter or a pen and snap a photo and upload? This would easily help confirm since the free-tails have left and we don't need to consider their guano. If existing, wipe the slate clean below the bat house and get the latest guano from the lone species. If they are little browns they could be using this house as a stopover to hibernation.

Cheers,

Joe

[cloudman75]

Joe the forum reply gave me a message that the file was too large and would not take the attachment, so I did reduce it for best email size. There is no hurry, so I'll try to get some more photos and when you get your glasses you can take a look. I am improving using the techniques mentioned on this forum. There is still a lot of room for improvement but, I am making progress with the photos. Also to answer your question I have two lakes and a large creek less than 1/4 mile as the crow flies. Also have 6.5 acres mostly woods on our place with an adjacent 15 acres owned by others of mixed hardwoods.
Lots of insects and predators. The predators don't give me a problem very long after I convince them to move on.
I'll go out right before dark and take some more photos. I still have trouble getting the focus right, so have to junk a lot of shots. I also have some very small bats that I believe are pipistrelles in my unvented newest bathouse I built. I am overjoyed to have the freetails here also. All bats are wecome here.

Frank

[Joe Spencer]

Hmm that is a lot of water very much to the liking of any bat especially little browns and your environment is also conducive. I frequently tell people that on average the Big Brown Bat is the city bat and the little brown bat is more of a country bat which is why when you mentioned metro I automatically leaned toward big brown but with your additional information it's up for grabs. Either way great for you. I only had two bats this year and no little browns which may have been caused by WNS in my area. BCI said the count was one million and rising. Very sad indeed as Dave Miller has reiterated. Terry Lobdell has a lot of little browns but it will take a few seasons to see how/when/if it impacts his LB population.

[cloudman75]

took this tonight Oct 26,2009. Anyone care to say what species?

Thanks Frank

[Joe Spencer]

Frank, what size are the spaces between your partitions? Some seem to look larger that others. Is it the camera angle? Guano never lies so if this guano matches the LB guano in the comparison photo I supplied then that is what you have. If all your spaces are 3/4" then it leans towards LB's since I see plenty of space for them between body on top and bottom between partitions. Hard for me to be sure at this point.

[cloudman75]

Joe,
Four spaces are 3/4 inch and one space is about 1 inch or more. The space next to the back has screening and is wider than the rest at 1 inch or more. The other spaces are scored on plywood. These are the same little browns I have had for years I think. The guano size matches and is smaller than the three big browns I had. One thing I noticed in taking photos last evening is that all three bat houses have a few freetails in them. This 5 chamber has the most. I still have many bats here and it is almost Nov. It supposed to be back in the mid 70s here in a couple of days. Right now it is chilly and rain, temps in the 50s daytime and low 40s at night.
It is my understanding that freetails don't hibernate but migrate if it gets too cold. I am anxious to see what happens when frost arrives . These bats look like they have a lot of fat and are pretty well prepared to go into hibernation. They can be at their caves in about an hour from here. I am fortunate to live where several known
bat caves are within 35 miles driving distance. This is my first year with freetails and I have been batting about
7 years now. They were in my attic louver prior to that. My last bat house, I built the baffles as an independent unit. I varied the spacing, some 1/2 inch some 3/4 and one two inch. All were screening. I can remove 4 screws and pull the baffle unit out. I did this so I could experiment with spacing of the baffles.These bats like the 1/2 inch spacing OK. The 3 big browns used the wide spacing.
I don't plan to use anymore screening, but will score the wood instead. I plan to build another baffle unit of about 3/4 inch spacing and score the wood this winter. While I have it down, I will cut some ventilation holes in one side as it has none now.

Frank

[Joe Spencer]

Great feedback on the caves Frank. Little browns in the south obviously need not hibernate as long as our New England bats and having caves that close is another reason to increase your odds of bats especially little browns or myotis bats in general. Big brown bats do not travel as far to hibernation areas and is one reason they will prefer to hibernate in buildings. LB's are willing to travel much further but in your case with close proximity to caves you are in great shape for colony continuance barring a WNS spreading and outbreak. BCI said one million dead bats and counting (mostly little browns). Are your caves anywhere near Stone mountain Georgia by chance?

[cloudman75]

Stone Mountain is east of Atlanta and I am west. There are 32 caves of some size suitable for bats in N.W. Georgia. They would be at least 60 miles from Stone Mountain. There is a cave in N.W. Georgia that is home to the endangered Gray bat. Within a 100 miles of me are several caves in N.E.Alabama that are known to have bats. I really don't know where these bats I have hibernate, just speculate they don't go far. They leave in November and come to my place in March. A few others stop by on warm days in winter as they migrate in lieu of hibernate. I have never been able to identify them, but they are small bats. Now that my photo taking is improving, I may get a shot of some strays this winter.

Frank