WNS Decontamination Protocol 2016
More links to the decontamination protocol for April 2016
bat
WNS jumps the Rockies
From the US Fish & Wildlife Service
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce today the confirmation of white-nose syndrome in the state of Washington. This detection is about 1,300 miles from areas where white-nose syndrome has been confirmed in Minnesota and where the fungus has been found in Nebraska.”
https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/what-can-you-do-help
Udated “Cave Advisory”
Updated “Cave Advisory”: Recommendations for managing access to subterranean bat roosts to reduce the impacts of white-nose syndrome in bats
https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/sites/default/files/resource/final-cave_access_advisory_2016_2.pdf
Recommendations to reduce the potential for humans to disturb hibernating bats or inadvertently transport the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome to uncontaminated bat habitats. This guidance was produced by the interagency national response to white-nose syndrome through the White-nose Syndrome Disease Management Working Group.
Free Pest-Control Service for the Winter Garden
Frio 28Mar2016 UTC Click to left for video
Last night, what looks like about 3-1/2 million bats emerged from Frio Bat Cave and headed south toward the Winter Garden area south of Uvalde, providing free pest-control service to farmers in a large area west toward Bracketville. Hope they stayed clear of the turbines at the wind farm. Anybody doing a count this morning?
Sunrise service work – Happy Easter!
Easter Bat – 911
First thing this morning we got a call from the Austin Police Department. Our first reaction? We didn’t do it! Then they said “We have a bat in the main building downtown, can Dianne come and help us?” So, ready to protect and to serve, we saved the APD from this bat. She sure does seem ferocious!
Austin metro area home to 2 million people
Bridge bats say “We never seen so many humans!” Maybe it’s global warming.”
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/austin-metro-area-surpasses-2-million-residents/nqrQF/
Releasing a Bat
I just had an amazing experience releasing a rehabilitated bat. They are so tiny! She was eager to join the party at Congress Bridge. Thanks Lee and Dianne. Your passion and love for bats is inspiring. Thank you for the great service you give to the Austin community and especially the bats!
The Bats are Back!
Bats are Back 16Mar2016 UTC HD (Click on link to see video)
The bats are back at Congress Ave Bridge in Austin!
This video from last night shows 3 or 4 separate flights from the bridge before a north front sweeps in, taking most of the bats along for the ride.
The last few years the bats have made sure to be back for the South by Southwest Music Festival.
The viewing is great these days, they’re coming out well before dark.
The dark
- “After thousands of years, we’re still strangers to darkness, fearful aliens in an enemy camp with our arms crossed over our chests.” Annie Dillard
Bats & Lighting UK Guidelines 2014
http://www.bats.org.uk/data/files/Bats_and_Lighting_-_Overview_of_evidence_and_mitigation_-_2014.pdf
First two paragraphs:
“These guidelines have been drafted in response to a rising number of developments and associated artificial lighting impacting
upon bat populations in the UK. There is increasing evidence of the impacts of artificial lighting on ecosystems and, as nocturnal animals, bats are likely to be impacted negatively. These guidelines are borne out of research undertaken by Emma Stone during her PhD investigating the impacts of street lighting on bats and provide a synthesis of the issues and evidence-based advice of the potential impact of lighting on bats and possible mitigation strategies.”
“These guidelines have been drafted with input from experts in lighting (Institute of Lighting Professionals), bat surveys, ecology and mitigation (Bat Conservation Trust), legislation (Natural England) and bat research and mitigation (University of Bristol) to provide the best current evidence and thinking in the field of mitigation of the impacts of lighting on bats. This document is aimed at ecologists, lighting engineers, architects, planners and ecologists in Local Authorities and Statutory Nature Conservation Organisations such as Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage or Natural Resources Wales.”