Month: May 2017

The Joy of First Flight!

This evening bat pup was our first pup of the year, arriving as a one-week-old, found by Jordan Van Der Hayden in an ant bed, on 03May2017.
Three weeks later he is now flying confidently around the aviary, brimming with the joy of life!

Just a few days ago he was stretching his wings, doing pushups to gain strength, and we held him just far enough from his roosts to make him stretch to get back home.  Holding him further away the next night caused him to spread those wings and flutter the 8 inches back.  The next time we did it he surprised us by doubling back and flying a wobbly 55 feet to the opposite end of the cage!  But last night he flew beautifully and for quite a long time.
Next he has to learn to drink on the wing from our pools and catch moths under the blacklight and then he can start his new life as a wild and free bat!

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Baby Bat or Baby Dragon?

Red Bat Puppy Wing!

Everyone at Austin Bat Refuge is celebrating the arrival of baby bat season! Our intern Kyndal was welcomed into her second summer of baby bat rehabilitation training yesterday. Just as she got to work in the flight cage, a red bat pup waived a warm “hello” from beneath her protective mother. Look at that fragile little wing! Kyndal wasn’t sure if she was looking at a bat or a baby dragon…

 

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Our first red bat pups of 2017!

Here we go!  First red bat pups of the year!
The official (and earliest ever) start of our busiest season.
Three weeks earlier than 2016; one week earlier than 2015; two and a half weeks earlier than 2014.

This red bat mum was rescued by Selma and although one of her wings is pretty torn up, the pups seem to be doing fine.  Great save Selma!
Here’s the best look we could get without disturbing her.


She’s been hanging by one foot and has her pups clenched to her breast with her tails wrapped around them.
Classic red bat pose!

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First pups of 2017

First pups of 2017!  Two weeks earlier than ever!
Evening bat mum munches a mealworm while her pup nuzzles her.
She sustained wing injuries that grounded her and they suffered ant bites before being rescued.
No small thing to rescue a ball of angry bats covered in ants!  You’re a hero Jordan!

The red light is used to minimize stress.

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UT Science Fair

Our Gabe enlightened many students (and even some bigwigs) about bats’ role as pollinators, at the Univ. of Texas Community Science Fair last weekend. The Science Fair preceded a wonderful talk titled “The Buzz About Bees” by Dr. Shalene Jha. Look for a recording of the webcast under “Talk Archives” at http://www.hotsciencecooltalks.org/
Even though eastern red bats are not pollinators, he captured hearts and minds of the crowd and got shout-outs from the speaker and the head of the Environmental Science Institute!

According to DIDEY MONTOYA, Outreach Coordinator, Hot Science – Cool Talks | The University of Texas at Austin | Environmental Science Institute | www.esi.utexas.edu
“We had over 400 attendees, 11 organizations and over 30 volunteers who helped us make our last event of the spring a success. The Environmental Science Institute couldn’t have offered such a great event without the involvement of groups and organizations such as yours. Thank you for helping inspire, engage and excite K-12 students, teachers, parents and the community in general in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The recording of the webcast is now available under the “Talk Archives” section at www.hotsciencecooltalks.org.
We will return next fall with an exciting lineup of STEM professionals ready to share their latest research. If you are not already part of the Hot Science – Cool Talks mailing list and wish to be added, let me know. Thanks again for your help!”

 

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