tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13013899012868570702024-02-19T02:26:41.215-08:00Holy Batblog Batgirl!bat conservation information and field notes from my adventuresangiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-87968761251284328702010-04-26T22:11:00.000-07:002010-04-26T22:26:03.755-07:00reticulated gila monster<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUT5sqwITRF9OTkZVrL4TGVI5l97HxRyCqwizkBFekeF7XI-JmhX_sELdbiVJ1a7p7YkgYjVxskz2meUlD-2MYcemvvpag9HCRZ2FP6qKK1a8FUgetSDu3vmg0ezFTF9EZFnAspzjLNE/s1600/IMG_2728.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUT5sqwITRF9OTkZVrL4TGVI5l97HxRyCqwizkBFekeF7XI-JmhX_sELdbiVJ1a7p7YkgYjVxskz2meUlD-2MYcemvvpag9HCRZ2FP6qKK1a8FUgetSDu3vmg0ezFTF9EZFnAspzjLNE/s400/IMG_2728.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464682074864148610" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">seen on 4.20.2010 near sugarloaf mountain</div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-29024340912954394752010-03-19T21:45:00.000-07:002010-03-19T21:49:21.484-07:00success<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WxHrR7DSny6-krKFS3r6lMqsXMYGs89Lxi1iL-k7jB1_QBfBSbUHFV2eFmWRFKqOoeskNrQ9ZOVHlUueOJCGjT2irELEgSK7C2UBUzO_NR6_IEXHrSVUQoY-bVgW_nzOPyCIOk3sxJI/s1600-h/IMG_2278.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WxHrR7DSny6-krKFS3r6lMqsXMYGs89Lxi1iL-k7jB1_QBfBSbUHFV2eFmWRFKqOoeskNrQ9ZOVHlUueOJCGjT2irELEgSK7C2UBUzO_NR6_IEXHrSVUQoY-bVgW_nzOPyCIOk3sxJI/s400/IMG_2278.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450572759422082226" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">this bat cupola was installed just under a year ago </div><div style="text-align: center;">in northwest phoenix. at least 200 california leaf-nosed</div><div style="text-align: center;">bats continue to come and go. the cupola looks so much</div><div style="text-align: center;">better than the chain link fence that it replaced.</div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-41818062862337470412009-08-24T20:21:00.000-07:002009-08-24T20:30:00.120-07:00california leaf-nosed bats in mexico<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzl8Xc5gGCmmlFYl2tYwArBuK16TJPt5R_YjK3_MZ1YptOJU8BXoD8e2bXrCOpsS69R9PsVWC3efU2GadS8u3Q071Btk-lJMYAeBBxIIhLNIJHK-4RaQV_6888FvKqi3unvI74x6T-CE/s1600-h/IMG_3448.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzl8Xc5gGCmmlFYl2tYwArBuK16TJPt5R_YjK3_MZ1YptOJU8BXoD8e2bXrCOpsS69R9PsVWC3efU2GadS8u3Q071Btk-lJMYAeBBxIIhLNIJHK-4RaQV_6888FvKqi3unvI74x6T-CE/s400/IMG_3448.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373738025059474034" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">night roosting in a building, photo taken in </div><div style="text-align: center;">april, pregnant females</div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-15669919455085380112009-08-20T20:32:00.000-07:002009-08-24T20:34:56.516-07:00pallid bat field notepdf version here: http://www.azgfd.gov/i_e/ee/resources/field_notes/mam/pallid_bat.pdf<br /><br /><br />Pallid Bat Wildlife Field Notes ■ Antrozous pallidus ■ By Angie McIntire Illustration by Zackery Zdinak Scientific Name: Antrozous pal-lidus. Its name comes from the Greek antro meaning “cave,” and zous mean-ing “animal;” and from the Latin pallidus,meaning “pale.” This bat also is referred to as the “desert bat.” Description: A relatively large bat with a forearm length of 45 to 60 mm, the pallid bat is light in color with long, prominent ears and pinkish-brown or gray wing and tail membranes. Adults usually weigh 17 to 28 grams (about the weight of six nickels). The pallid bat can be distinguished from other bats by its yellowish or cream-colored fur, large ears and the presence of a small horseshoe-shaped ridge on its blunt muzzle. Glands near its nostrils secrete a distinct skunk-like scent, possibly used as a defense. Distribution: The pallid bat ranges across western North America from south-central British Columbia to central Mexico. It is found throughout Arizona in the sum-mer at elevations ranging from 210 to 6,850 feet, but limited to southern parts of the state during the winter. Habitat: The pallid bat is most abundant in dry ecosystems, including the Great Basin, Mohave and Sonoran deserts, but it can be found in a variety of habitat types, including oak and pine forest, rocky canyons, farmlands and scrub grassland. Day and night roost types include crevices in cliffs, mines and rocky outcrops. This species also will roost in hollow trees, bridges, barns, porches and bat houses. Biology: The pallid bat com-monly roosts in groups of 20 or more, but may roost alone, in small groups of two to 20 bats, or gregariously (with hundreds of individuals). Pallid bats also will roost with bats of different spe-cies. They appear to be highly social, with distinct vocalizations to com-municate about orienting, irritation and spacing within the roost. Mating occurs throughout the winter and females begin to form nurs-ery colonies in April. Young are born over a two-week period in late May or June. A female pallid bat typically has one or two pups per year. Young bats reach adult size in five to seven weeks, but do not attain adult weight until the follow-ing year. While most bats in Arizona are known to feed on the wing, the pallid bat mostly consumes insects it plucks from foliage or the ground. It can consume up to half its weight in insects every night. It may echo-locate while foraging, but also uses passive sound to home in on its targets. Its flight style consists of dipping, rising and swoop-ing as it forages a few feet from the surface in search of cicadas, crickets, beetles, scor-pions, centipedes and the occasional gecko, lizard or small rodent. In a typical evening, the pallid bat has two foraging periods with an intervening rest period. Status: This common bat apparently adapts to a variety of habitat conditions. Short- and long-term trends appear to be stable and it is not a species of concern in Arizona. However, the pallid bat may be susceptible to disturbance at its roosts, and should be monitored for impacts from ongoing habitat loss due to urbanization. Management Needs: We lack data on the impacts of pesticides for this species and its winter habits are poorly understood. Information in these areas, as well as investigation of the pallid bat’s use of dif-ferent resources in diverse habitats, will increase the effec-tiveness of management actions. The Arizona Bat Conservation Strategic Plan outlines goals and objectives for managing, monitoring and researching the pallid bat and Arizona’s other bat species. ■ Nongame biologist Angie McIntire developed a passion for bats as a department intern. The first bat she ever met was a pallid bat. While most bats in Arizona are known to feed on the wing, the pallid bat mostly consumes insects it plucks from foliage or the ground. November–December 7 ■ A R I Z O N A W I L D L I F E V I E W S 17angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-13868577520253572402009-07-01T19:59:00.000-07:002009-07-01T20:02:10.941-07:00red bat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPIkWRXJa4hj9Ix8YDWQ469Y31eSRuHEQU_ohOANAIbNU1lqN8oEs-ueP49L_6fRjojIn3Buw_KjqE5bOdz157I87nKDHFh0hHq1iBsGpX510xrHuJ594TW5no12cUw2_xH35cZNtqec/s1600-h/IMG_1315.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPIkWRXJa4hj9Ix8YDWQ469Y31eSRuHEQU_ohOANAIbNU1lqN8oEs-ueP49L_6fRjojIn3Buw_KjqE5bOdz157I87nKDHFh0hHq1iBsGpX510xrHuJ594TW5no12cUw2_xH35cZNtqec/s400/IMG_1315.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353692350600597826" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Batting in the Huachucas last week, in southeastern</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Arizona, we caught quite a few red bats - one of my </div><div style="text-align: center;">favorites!</div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-78082151174884569752009-04-07T03:07:00.000-07:002009-04-07T03:07:00.691-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyBF-7HPtrXzXv2dGZybIBgwFbh9zNrE-TmTgWpY0zYpDFfuUJT1MGDKhOWS-ZFz-vDmyTDRW-eCeNZYlr7TjfHiqNhSrtJZAwZGMDfxGCv7C02bfxcwTED3zLQkHNOr0tsNYQHHN-i4/s1600-h/IMG_1170.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyBF-7HPtrXzXv2dGZybIBgwFbh9zNrE-TmTgWpY0zYpDFfuUJT1MGDKhOWS-ZFz-vDmyTDRW-eCeNZYlr7TjfHiqNhSrtJZAwZGMDfxGCv7C02bfxcwTED3zLQkHNOr0tsNYQHHN-i4/s400/IMG_1170.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321332613920291026" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">american kestrel</div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-53890565572162928772009-04-05T15:04:00.000-07:002009-04-05T15:05:42.461-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgyEvL6M-o_1zwMoHhnTquuxqGGvYe2eD0efBKf7-x4HRCD2-EEBWbXBopwkMcEly8OxXdYoQx3aiI8EAvqPJdAaADy7vsuETG9ffpavvFJFCnPKcZ8hG0FCHDDBHiRhNPAehepAcbac/s1600-h/IMG_1138.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgyEvL6M-o_1zwMoHhnTquuxqGGvYe2eD0efBKf7-x4HRCD2-EEBWbXBopwkMcEly8OxXdYoQx3aiI8EAvqPJdAaADy7vsuETG9ffpavvFJFCnPKcZ8hG0FCHDDBHiRhNPAehepAcbac/s400/IMG_1138.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321331900829645746" /></a>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-70551228079939522832008-12-11T17:59:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:48:40.472-08:00Black-footed Ferret Reintroduction Celebrates 10 Years in Aubrey Valley<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfXtLcmVRPBfBs33nbGPbkS5SmGrFIzkchpvg1ahjYm0ctd1ibCX8cVpY7yq1DxX5ulTZswN3prpRa6qhYQc2i9dMikUHinz9FxYJkpmPCX5C1v3eEjOduoXEtFqolAZQXp03eOs1R3I/s1600-h/3headsandabody.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfXtLcmVRPBfBs33nbGPbkS5SmGrFIzkchpvg1ahjYm0ctd1ibCX8cVpY7yq1DxX5ulTZswN3prpRa6qhYQc2i9dMikUHinz9FxYJkpmPCX5C1v3eEjOduoXEtFqolAZQXp03eOs1R3I/s400/3headsandabody.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279131770224127266" /></a><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: center;">September/October 2006 Wildlife Views article by Angie McIntire,<br /></div></span><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://www.azgfd.gov/i_e/pubs/Black-footedFerret.shtml">see article here</a>)<br /></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It’s 2 a.m., Oct. 28, 2001.<br /><br />Filled with nervous excitement, I dial Bill Van Pelt’s number. Bill, who manages the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s nongame birds and mammals program, will want to hear this news.<br /><br />Bill’s wife, Lola, answers. She is trying her best to sound awake and composed, but I hear an edge of concern in her voice.<br /><br />“Lola? It’s Angie. Nothing is wrong. I’m sorry to call so late. Can I talk to Bill for a second?”<br /><br />I hear shuffling as the phone is passed, then Bill’s groggy voice. In one breath I blurt out, “Bill, it’s Angie. I’m at the field station and you’ll never guess what I’m about to do. I have a wild-born male black-footed ferret, and I’m getting ready to implant a transponder. We have traps set out on three or four others. I think it’s a dispersing litter, and one could be the dam. It seemed like there were ferrets everywhere. It was incredible. I was running from one burrow to the next, lugging a 15-pound battery and the PIT-tag reader. It was like a dream.”<br /><br />In his best awakened-in-the-middle-of-the-night voice, Bill manages to say, “Wow, that’s great.”<br /><br />Back from the Brink<br /><br />I had rehearsed for that night for more than five years, practicing my “Guess what I found” speech to keep myself awake as I drove hour after hour with a million-candlepower spotlight hanging out the vehicle window. Depending on strong coffee and the belief that it could happen, I scanned my light back and forth across the large valley expanse, searching for a pair of green eyes peering from a hole in the ground, hoping someday I would find a wild-born litter to warrant that late-night call.<br /><br />The miraculous story of the return of the black-footed ferret is well-known in conservation circles. They were thought to be extinct only 25 years ago. But everything changed on Sept. 25, 1981 when a ranch dog in Wyoming killed the first ferret to be seen since 1979, proving that ferrets still existed. The discovery launched a recovery effort that is still underway.<br /><br />In September 1996, with the release of 35 black-footed ferrets, Arizona became the fourth state to reintroduce these animals to the wild. While this date marks the milestone when we opened cage doors, the effort truly began some 13 years before, when the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s habitat specialist in Flagstaff, Glen Dickens, posed a question to the department’s nongame branch chief, Terry Johnson.<br /><br />“Terry,” asked Dickens, “Are searching for ferrets and looking for sites where they could be reintroduced worthy pursuits for the department?”<br /><br />Johnson’s answer was, “Yes.”<br /><br />Since then, field crew members, interns, wildlife managers, department biologists and hundreds of volunteers have contributed thousands of hours and spent sleepless nights conducting spotlight surveys, hoping their efforts would pay off. Ask anyone who has been involved with the black-footed ferret reintroduction, “When did this begin for you?” and you get an answer full of passion.<br /><br />Creativity Breeds Success<br /><br />When Arizona joined the national effort to reintroduce ferrets, it pioneered several release strategies to forge a unique path to success. The first of these was the use of large outdoor acclimation pens. This was a new release strategy, allowing animals to acclimate to their surroundings and practice hunting for food within an enclosed quarter-acre pen.<br /><br />Because of the extended time each ferret spent in its pen area, we imagined that once released, our ferrets would disperse slowly after living for some time in burrows adjacent to the pens. For release, we literally cut small holes in each pen section and inserted long flexible PVC tubing to lead the ferrets out to nearby burrows.<br /><br />The animals left their pens, but most were not seen again. Although we occasionally found a ferret living in the wild after its release, we were hard-pressed to document long-term survival from pen enrichment alone in those early years.<br /><br />Competition was fierce among reintroduction sites for releasable ferret kits from captive breeding facilities. So we wondered: What if we bred our own ferrets? From that idea, we blazed another trail, becoming the first reintroduction site to breed black-footed ferrets in our outdoor preconditioning pens. After all, wouldn’t ferrets that had never been in zoo captivity be better equipped to survive in the wild?<br /><br />The first year we attempted to breed ferrets (1997) we maintained a hands-off policy, just putting male and female ferrets together to let nature take its course. That year, we could not document whether any litters had been born. We attempted breeding trials again in 1998, changing our methods to include visual inspections and chemicals and laboratory work to help us make better decisions. We were rewarded with 26 kits, numbers similar to those at captive-breeding facilities.<br /><br />As any wildlife biologist can tell you, funny things happen in the field. The very first litter born in our pens was a mystery. We never actually paired that first female with a male, yet she became pregnant. We assume the male ferret (named Houdini, if you can believe it), who escaped from the adjacent pen within days of her pregnancy window, was the culprit. Somehow, he snuck into and out of her pen undetected (not an easy task, since the pens were strung with electric wires).<br /><br />In 1999, we produced even more kits. Although our pen-breeding effort was successful enough to be replicated by other reintroduction sites, it was not materializing into long-term survival or reproduction in the wild. A nocturnal animal that lives underground is relatively difficult to track, and we surely missed a few in our monitoring efforts. But certainly, there was no smoking gun to show us we were on track. After thousands of survey hours, we still didn’t have any clear indication a population was taking hold, let alone building. We wondered if what we were doing was working.<br /><br />Again we tried something that had never been done at another site: We released animals in the spring rather than the fall. Because ferret kits are born in May and June and gain their independence around October, this is when they are naturally available from captive-breeding facilities for release. Instead of releasing them in the fall, we decided to hold animals in the preconditioning pens through the winter, thinking that a release in the spring would provide an easier transition from captivity to wild. The air would be warmer and more food would be available.<br /><br />In addition, we hedged our bets by pairing male and female ferrets as we had in our captive-breeding days, hoping that some females would be pregnant for their release. If females were pregnant, they would whelp in the wild. In case they weren’t, we released males in proximity.<br /><br />Return of the Ferrets<br /><br />After the spring release in 2001, the momentum began to turn, finally warranting that middle-of-the-night phone call. Since then, the number of wild-born ferrets trapped for identification each year has been on the rise, with 29 trapped and released in 2005. The number of ferrets seen during spotlighting events grows each year as well, with more than 100 sightings in the spring 2006 survey.<br /><br />In his May 1996 “Arizona Wildlife Views” article, “Green Eyes Glowing in the Night,” Terry Johnson asked, “Will this reintroduction work?” He foresaw that “Countless factors may intervene from a lack of releasable animals to an inability of captive-reared ferrets to adapt to the wild.”<br /><br />Johnson was right. Those and other factors have intervened. But our will to succeed has been strong, and 10 years into the project I know Bill sleeps soundly. After all, the field team is now far too busy counting wild ferrets to make any late-night phone calls.</span>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-72755359312396429042008-10-07T21:45:00.000-07:002008-10-07T22:05:27.737-07:00Historic Event<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJ-sGIh-PKEljlWmMRPG0hZ9iR2ANiN9dt1RZ2BNx5Yyj3G-mcLjFNBSyPBQBNMxMneq_h4YJWe-xG9nFUVKrolVZa8kV8lIrN-XX9HwcDXgDGwitIgUTJPXmLNmPyOilIYfGEbn8zE0/s1600-h/IMG_0891.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJ-sGIh-PKEljlWmMRPG0hZ9iR2ANiN9dt1RZ2BNx5Yyj3G-mcLjFNBSyPBQBNMxMneq_h4YJWe-xG9nFUVKrolVZa8kV8lIrN-XX9HwcDXgDGwitIgUTJPXmLNmPyOilIYfGEbn8zE0/s400/IMG_0891.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254642341494219138" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Today at 11:00 am, black-tailed prairie dogs were </div><div style="text-align: center;">ceremoniously returned to southeastern<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> arizona. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">They were extirpated from arizona</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> in the 1930s, so this event has been a long time coming. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A critical component of our southeastern </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">grassland ecosystem, where prairie dogs </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">live, a multitude of species flourish. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-48907535809913018542008-10-06T22:06:00.000-07:002008-10-07T22:14:09.871-07:00trapping prairie dogs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKT_kKnAsf0u3QV1Em-Hcf9bFwcxRwZQ3hfcbQlOwnHboRj8xvFz4dcB3D_3yw_U39Vrk4S6p7MHRDU7CKBfFKMhAGo0rfFAFVojdseaoiS8EFxxCUmwJ68T7o13YfnSXKB-FdLIGkVw/s1600-h/IMG_0773.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKT_kKnAsf0u3QV1Em-Hcf9bFwcxRwZQ3hfcbQlOwnHboRj8xvFz4dcB3D_3yw_U39Vrk4S6p7MHRDU7CKBfFKMhAGo0rfFAFVojdseaoiS8EFxxCUmwJ68T7o13YfnSXKB-FdLIGkVw/s400/IMG_0773.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254645992065263186" /></a>trapping was underway all day. we captured 31 prairie dogs to add to 43 captured on friday. 74 prairie dogs will make the journey to arizona for tuesday's big release event. angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-1658684199615565822008-10-04T21:49:00.000-07:002008-10-04T21:56:10.006-07:00home sweet home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsC56_wUjH4HQ_jg-LaQPNJ45qIn8BjPDG8ccaH199C2ggeybJv8hQ6k-snKSaMQXF9eT24ZDrAxvgYYBJfEIlmRTREsm7PVlNe0iVQFC9IOiOyLbfQZWsusbJmSEYuGpTRuzlVDxDSM/s1600-h/IMG_0172.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsC56_wUjH4HQ_jg-LaQPNJ45qIn8BjPDG8ccaH199C2ggeybJv8hQ6k-snKSaMQXF9eT24ZDrAxvgYYBJfEIlmRTREsm7PVlNe0iVQFC9IOiOyLbfQZWsusbJmSEYuGpTRuzlVDxDSM/s400/IMG_0172.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253528668051235282" /></a>my marmot aeros tent is fabulous.angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-3431326608912842302008-10-03T21:59:00.000-07:002008-10-04T22:23:08.810-07:00young spotted ground squirrel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNpJ6Zdxgyq6sH_AVE3XKGqrvNHmsXXEt0ft443omfjZ2ck7WlOK2y9dZnJ9kURLfebUeXU48tCln3Vml_DfzcVVonYB2Bg2_zL4eQYaTTQM7p418OlQxOQqt0xOs4UIeyzolRgc6e6Y/s1600-h/IMG_0643.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNpJ6Zdxgyq6sH_AVE3XKGqrvNHmsXXEt0ft443omfjZ2ck7WlOK2y9dZnJ9kURLfebUeXU48tCln3Vml_DfzcVVonYB2Bg2_zL4eQYaTTQM7p418OlQxOQqt0xOs4UIeyzolRgc6e6Y/s400/IMG_0643.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253531463388113490" /></a>Spotted ground squirrels are often found in areas where prairie dogs are living (or lived, in cases where prairie dogs have been extirpated). In Arizona, they live in a variety of habitats, desert to mountain meadows. Their burrows are generally found in sandy soils. In southeastern Arizona they are associated with mesquite and acacia. In northern Arizona, they live among sagebrush and saltbush. This photo taken at the Ladder Ranch, near Truth or Consequences New Mexico. They've been observed feeding on: insects, a variety of seeds (saltbush, mesquite, sunflower, wild gourd), grasshoppers, and the pulp of cacti. angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-32375976387451064802008-10-02T22:29:00.000-07:002008-10-04T22:41:36.328-07:00elk sighting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzh0VINiNlDzGVMtMISReMSV_ZHj9WT6kjku3pAV1Wpja-4cRwcUKCL-tm8RkyjnrEqPJNglj2Z3MOrs5B01PzYP1MOz5dLrS8ueH7q3vABVPXWYeKEjVc0DgL95DYutCfxXF90avQck/s1600-h/IMG_0663.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzh0VINiNlDzGVMtMISReMSV_ZHj9WT6kjku3pAV1Wpja-4cRwcUKCL-tm8RkyjnrEqPJNglj2Z3MOrs5B01PzYP1MOz5dLrS8ueH7q3vABVPXWYeKEjVc0DgL95DYutCfxXF90avQck/s400/IMG_0663.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253538611167286578" /></a>This bull elk along with another bull and a cow sauntered near our camp. Each night we could hear the elk bugling and bellowing - as bull elk attempt to establish a small herd of females. angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-26083114084704291982008-09-28T21:16:00.000-07:002008-09-28T21:39:45.583-07:00black tailed prairie dogs - on the move<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQTT-Zo3lhMe7Dt26p9sEQRmEHimHFYhgRp15EcBjDUYRGejeOoy_tLKHineWzD9qGIlkwSNauYLmp_z1kuu7OnPCQ8CEGl7zZynOr8tLoS32prQIi6kc-YQX7VcD756Fs_JvYS7xpB8/s1600-h/IMG_0647.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQTT-Zo3lhMe7Dt26p9sEQRmEHimHFYhgRp15EcBjDUYRGejeOoy_tLKHineWzD9qGIlkwSNauYLmp_z1kuu7OnPCQ8CEGl7zZynOr8tLoS32prQIi6kc-YQX7VcD756Fs_JvYS7xpB8/s400/IMG_0647.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251294878626772178" /></a>Arizona's black tailed prairie dog translocation project is underway. We are preparing to trap prairie dogs at Ted Turner's Ladder Ranch, near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. For the next several days, we'll continue the "pre-baiting" phase, which involves baiting traps and allowing the prairie dogs to get used to entering the traps without getting caught. The bait consists of a mixture of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sweet oats. After about a week of pre-baiting, the traps will be set and the dogs will be caught within a couple days (theoretically). The traps we use are called "live traps" because they don't cause harm. angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-23776029711285693942008-08-24T20:58:00.000-07:002008-08-24T21:17:26.560-07:00the beginning of the North American Bat Conservation Alliance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdxop79pRoa96dLCpm__z9VutwnZMem1LHO9nwlasacwkAjOD7014GfPvMeGm3PtqAj71wstkLjB6hBqj7ivy6f3_TYlTPUtDTH3Lzsi-euyojB9TybX3NlU62ZvKw5ZjKzMV3HDLqQ8/s1600-h/IMG_0127.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdxop79pRoa96dLCpm__z9VutwnZMem1LHO9nwlasacwkAjOD7014GfPvMeGm3PtqAj71wstkLjB6hBqj7ivy6f3_TYlTPUtDTH3Lzsi-euyojB9TybX3NlU62ZvKw5ZjKzMV3HDLqQ8/s400/IMG_0127.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238301049176017810" /></a>Last week a bit of history was made at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. A workshop was held to kick off an international effort on behalf of North American bat conservation. Sure, going out to do surveys and monitoring is important, but real progress is made when a group of people are all dedicated to a common goal. This marks the beginning of NABCA and of a more coordinated effort to make progress for bat conservation among state and federal wildlife agencies and our many partners across the continent.angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-36985407161437636962008-07-29T03:48:00.000-07:002008-07-29T03:50:14.767-07:00Corynorhinus townsendii acoustic call<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNW0WQvoQOPTVxJpwEIjTie-v8pckRGRIPFfHps4kguI4sqfzz2MVAwFOLkCu0HZVYO_UJMPNh13yW15XzKOqXKQ_E7pLjaIBIvczqBez2pV2Y1Yf2OPImozW3IgkyhsQ9KtPEvvBx6R4/s1600-h/coto+call.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228386271299129666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNW0WQvoQOPTVxJpwEIjTie-v8pckRGRIPFfHps4kguI4sqfzz2MVAwFOLkCu0HZVYO_UJMPNh13yW15XzKOqXKQ_E7pLjaIBIvczqBez2pV2Y1Yf2OPImozW3IgkyhsQ9KtPEvvBx6R4/s400/coto+call.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-58544672742701251912008-04-26T11:35:00.000-07:002008-04-26T15:01:07.167-07:00Eagle Creek Bat Cave, April 2008Once home to millions of Mexican free-tailed bats, Eagle Creek bat cave provides refuge still to many thousand bats. In the early 1960s, Dr. E. Lendell Cockrum (University of Arizona) estimated there must be 25 million bats living in this cave in southeastern Arizona. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2h84Ho8Fx7cQ7BJXsGF6kZMIz_XJBPPKECowSrTuxEItxddH96tdN9fwvx1JUx6TCMWLMFUlUxYQcWijzbanlhVfL6VpnubREWouCBvrv-CnkEoWhlJVedQ3-AvMdWdbs_Hp5bBdMBA/s1600-h/2008+04+25+012.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193625386766896146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2h84Ho8Fx7cQ7BJXsGF6kZMIz_XJBPPKECowSrTuxEItxddH96tdN9fwvx1JUx6TCMWLMFUlUxYQcWijzbanlhVfL6VpnubREWouCBvrv-CnkEoWhlJVedQ3-AvMdWdbs_Hp5bBdMBA/s320/2008+04+25+012.JPG" border="0" /></a> The bats poured out of the cave for 30 minutes each night like a heavy plume of smoke before fading to trails of bat wisps that lingered for another hour or so. The cave is located in a beautiful Sonoran riparian deciduous forest. Seep willow and tree tobacco line the river and the canyon is populated with Arizona alder, sycamore and walnut, netleaf hackberry, Fremont and narrowleaf cottonwoods, box elder, velvet ash, and desert willow. Mesquite, ocotillo and prickly pear remind you that as lush as Eagle creek may be in the spring, this desert riparian area will dry significantly in the summer months. I saw 4 black hawks, soaring and calling against the canyon walls; turkey vultures, flycatchers and even a roadrunner, the tail of a whip-tailed lizard hanging out of his beak like a limp spaghetti. The 6 desert bighorn sheep - no rams that I could see - were a highlight. So beige and blending with the canyon rock I might have missed them if it weren't for their spots of white rump. They stood still up on the rock, not precarious at all, just confident. Beaver sign was plenty, plenty of peeled bark and gnawed sapling stumps. No beavers working this day.<br /><br /> In the early 1900s, the Eagle Creek bat cave was mined for bat guano.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQXalSnDqTIyGCE16FNrxCtDsV_qRhvNG4T4eCLM6GYClOwZbMny_mmifR6hYv8TSfkZPDksclkfbjntsk6HaekZv1GyjQJLqHEnF-FuuGsvkM7t9CuA8YZXqC0VPWdJVts4t9C3yrlA/s1600-h/2008+04+25+005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193626524933229602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQXalSnDqTIyGCE16FNrxCtDsV_qRhvNG4T4eCLM6GYClOwZbMny_mmifR6hYv8TSfkZPDksclkfbjntsk6HaekZv1GyjQJLqHEnF-FuuGsvkM7t9CuA8YZXqC0VPWdJVts4t9C3yrlA/s320/2008+04+25+005.JPG" border="0" /></a> The guano was removed from the cave and packed to the town of Morenci by burro before being shipped by train to a fertilizer company on the west coast. The guano mining ended around 1954, but still present all these years later are large wooden rollers, ladders, and chutes. Also, left by biologists in the 1960s, large cages where bats were held waiting for biologists to crimp metal bands on their wings in hopes of learning where they come from or where they go (capturing them elsewhere), or perhaps how long they live.<br /><br />Why am I here? To see if there are signs that people have been disturbing the bats and gauge the feasibility of constructing a gate at the cave entrance to prevent access inside. Evil people have been known to shoot guns into the cave, killing the bats or knocking their babies off the ceiling to die on the cave floor. Even the well intentioned curious can do a lot of harm by going into the cave, which rouses the bats to swirl around the ceiling. If they feel especially vulnerable and fly outside, they'll be easy prey by the black hawks I saw earlier. The cave, with its impressive visible opening is not anything special inside. High ceiling but shallow, there's no branches or hidden rooms to explore. The bats are the cave's treasure, and they are best enjoyed while seated outside at dusk. Watching many thousands of bats (hopefully the population will someday again number in the millions) leave the cave to go feed is worth the price of non-admission.angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-24283401580037602172007-05-29T17:31:00.000-07:002008-04-26T17:48:02.215-07:00A Million Ghost Faced Bats<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMiJI96lpqa8OoVmAUI1nA9VP-T0EeAIUyFTW5DuxMk4QLRdNsj3g-DaKh1nK663BmXbyKGvWOxnlJM01PAGs82T2W8pN4IZZYJs-51P_8DMiJe3Oh-Lo4I2lH4hak-hWjN2Ridpw9bg/s1600-h/vampire+bat+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193720425803222290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMiJI96lpqa8OoVmAUI1nA9VP-T0EeAIUyFTW5DuxMk4QLRdNsj3g-DaKh1nK663BmXbyKGvWOxnlJM01PAGs82T2W8pN4IZZYJs-51P_8DMiJe3Oh-Lo4I2lH4hak-hWjN2Ridpw9bg/s320/vampire+bat+2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Sunday May 28, 2006, Tamaulipas, Mexico<br />Sunday we had breakfast and coffee and met an Audobon director, looked at the cabina owner’s photo slide show of snakes and a gruesome jackass that had been killed by a jaguar. We left Gomez Farias around 10 and headed to Quintero Cave. Along the way we stopped to examine and take photos of a very interesting tree. It flowered along the trunk, had branches and leaves similar to ocotillo. Air plants, or epiphytes, and flat cactus pads adorned the branches throughout. It was quite unique, decorated and draped by climbing, clinging, prickly arms. As we took it in, we admired one interesting growth after another. I pressed a couple of the flowers between a sheet of paper in my field guide and saved a small branch with leaves as well. Then on to the cave. Easy to drive to, steps to walk up, graffiti all around. Quite a popular destination. Inside the cave was pretty massive, and it was fairly extensive with domed spots used by certain bat species that like to roost in cup-like domes. Inside there was a huge mexican free-tailed colony, a small cluster of about 20 hairy legged vampire bats, we could see by their rounded ears. Also, glossophaga. The cave had at one time had quite a bit of standing water, as evidenced by the water line, several feet up the wall. But perhaps for 40 years since landowners down the hill had laid a pipe to send the water down to livestock, or agriculture maybe, the cave had dried up save for a couple pools in tiny ceynote like bowls containing endemic crustaceans moving their luminescent bodies like ghosts on curtain like appendages.<br />Next we headed to cave two of the day.<br /><br />Quintero Gruta<br />Bat pollinated tree – hard fruits, look like citrus but more goard like, make maracas. Flowers from trunk, epiphytes adorn, flat long cactus intertwine, interesting leaflets like ocotillo<br />Red bellied squirrel<br />Chachalaca<br />Anis orioles<br />Kiskadee (like)<br />Target range<br />Cuevo Quintero ~ approx 12 species use through year; had ~100,000 Tadarida brasiliensis at site visit, also hairy legged vampire (15-20), and Glossophagus<br /><br />The water level in some areas was several feet, but maybe 40 years has been dry piped for agriculture. Many domes, limestone cups smooth rocks.<br /><br />We sat at the mouth of the cave and discussed how to go about affecting the practice of guano mining in Mexico. From my notes: there is a permit process in place in Mexico, maybe oversight is within their energy department. In the US, the Lacey Act is that which has the potential to legislate the movement of guano and appropriate collection practices.<br /><br />Guano Exports – investigate DOI USFWS Office of International Affairs, Customs, Department of Ag<br />Recommended action: Take action with Position Paper, cover -<br />*Reason why this is an important issue<br />*Biological impacts<br />*Recommendation<br />*Be vigilant about the issue<br />*Document the size of the problem<br /><br />as we drove to the next site, near Aldama, we listened to Louis Armstrong – when you’re smiling, hello dolly<br />Passed fields of blue agave<br />Tamaulipas crow<br />Fig tree<br />Black vulture<br />Black iguana<br />Heard Gypsy Kings along long bumpy gravel road to Rancho ???<br />Yellow necked woodpecker<br />Cahuamas (beer quart), Mayemos (pacifico…not sure what this note meant)<br /><br />Stopped off at two large ceynotes, first containing 2 native fish, crustaceans, across way was elephant foot tree, a diver was killed there.<br />Second ceynote had a grebe and tree duck.<br />Mot mot<br />Elegant trogon<br />White tailed deer<br />Black tree duck<br />Red-billed pigeon<br />Parakeets<br />Chachalacas<br />Gray fox<br />Hawk with barred tail (roadside)<br />La asulfrosa ranch (the water has a lot of sulfur)<br />Los Cuarteles Cueva – Huge and extensive. Five species were there when we visited, plus opossom, and lots of dermestids canvassing thick, spongy guano. At least a million ghost faced bats fly in a large room, their naked babies clinging to the ceiling. I'd like to say that the little ghost faced bats were cute, but they were probably the strangest most ghoulish looking offspring of any creature ever. Their helplessness, however, endeared me to stay low, quiet and ready to help any that fell from the ceiling in the bat mayhem. The cave was very humid, warm, with a few openings where trees have fallen through, and other openings to the surface. It is the most impressive, extensive cave I've ever been in and I am a little freaked out that we may get lost forever in the maze. We don't. We capture 2 mormoops and 1 lesser mustached bat with a handnet and drove to Hotel Mansion Presas del Rey in Aldama, Room 107. Flew bats in the hotel room to photograph, with SportsCenter highlights of the Suns and Dallas NBA playoff series game in the background. No bats were injured during the photoshoot and they were released back into the night immediately after. That was a fabulous, one of a kind experience - flying bats in a hotel room, that is. Mormoops are gentle and mellow, have long legs. At rest, their bodies hang pendandant; uropotagium extends and tail comes out of membrane, can extend and pull back in.<br /><br />Ghost-faced bat (Mormoops megalophylla)<br />Lesser mustached bat (Pteronotus personatus)Common Mustached bat (Pteronotus parnellii)<br />Lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae)<br />Vampires (Desmodus rotundus)<br />Wind scorpions<br />Tiny frogsangiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-54830204942857022902007-05-28T17:25:00.000-07:002008-04-26T17:57:00.905-07:00Bat Falcon Love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwx1Gk3uxe6zYeNXsn3BtrzRGX9bs9DMCh8RaDbjl3lIHQfcGcLzLAMmB7T2kxinNw4Eq1oRMxPvwn5LCQa_KXlfGEL6gdfUYt1rPyygIWY6zDLioV3wnktSm_-jFMDjlcbMdZAUh3BA/s1600-h/DSC00863.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193715220302859522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwx1Gk3uxe6zYeNXsn3BtrzRGX9bs9DMCh8RaDbjl3lIHQfcGcLzLAMmB7T2kxinNw4Eq1oRMxPvwn5LCQa_KXlfGEL6gdfUYt1rPyygIWY6zDLioV3wnktSm_-jFMDjlcbMdZAUh3BA/s320/DSC00863.JPG" border="0" /></a> Saturday, May 27, 2006, Tamaulipas, Mexico<br />Saturday we decided not to get up at the crack of dawn, but were ready to go at 10:00. We headed for Gomez Farias, which sounds like a person but is actually a place. Another long drive. We stopped off for Mango Pay (pie), which was so delicious I had two pieces. Then climbed a bit of elevation into moist tropical forest, and assured our rooms at a local guest house. After checking in we stopped for cokes, fantas, and modelos. Then headed to eat Langostinos, filets, rice and fries. After lunch we went on a boat and did some birding, which was fantastic. We saw birds in every direction. That night we went to Agua de Ojo (Ojo de agua?) and set up the photo tent and equipment quickly.<br /><br />Side note on the value of taking a trip to mexico with high ranking people (branch chief and assistant director). It has allowed me to hear the casual conversations between two individuals who have influence. Even hearing the questions they ask about habitat, the comments they make, the general way they conduct themselves. My general impression: I am super impressed with Bruce’s photography abilities and his ability to make things happen. Somewhat amusing, he does not travel well. He likes things to run smoothly, and needs to have an assistant to attend to the details in life: like keeping organized, setting alarms, waiting at border crossings, tracking lists, making phone calls. On the other hand, he is king of delegation, at least of the details. He could practice a little self control when delegating the obvious (like his repeated command for me to catch the bats after each fly through the chamber). On not traveling well…when traveling in mexico, or anywhere in latin america (possibly all travels abroad, but I’ll withhold comment until I have the other continents on my list) one should expect a few delays, discomforts, inconveniences. For people who travel many times to these areas, this is part of the fun, of not knowing exactly what you’re going to get, and rolling with it. Predictability and smooth travels may occur in the most stringently planned itineraries with guide companies. I wouldn’t know, I prefer not to travel that way (well perhaps when I’m 90).<br /><br />Ate mango pie; took frog photo; ate langostinos and tilapia<br />Male bat falcon gave female bat falcon a dragonfly<br /><br />Butterflies: blue morpho, pale yellow, pale green, orange. Dragonflies: green, black<br /><br />Blue-crowned mot mot<br />Anole<br />Bobwhite<br />Muscovy duck<br />Slider turtles<br />Orioles<br />Green jay<br />Mexican jay<br />Ani (groove or smooth billed?)<br />Chachalacas<br />Ringed kingfisher<br />Green kingfishers<br />Snake on bank shelf had just eaten<br />Green heron<br />A couple warblers<br />Orange/black oriole<br />Tamaulipan parrot snake (?) looked like a green vine, narrow (leptophis mexicanus)<br />Central american yellow bat (Rhogeessa tumida)<br />Tiny bat with black, frost tipped fur<br />Evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis)<br />Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis)<br /><div></div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-58661663352508907222007-05-27T17:08:00.000-07:002008-04-26T17:11:26.370-07:00Military Macaws and Common Mustached Bats<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dhhDl1tQ9DHFaBNcHx9jfIx3P9v0sAQWXJnQ66tdR4TBkwQGgNQOtH3vWzL0VIV2vqctJORpuoDRuKkGQLRi-D2naoOtLxgCASRFzRqNYlnFDkLYf8iASZ5GAVvJ31mDY66CvIdi2ss/s1600-h/untitled1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193710409939487986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dhhDl1tQ9DHFaBNcHx9jfIx3P9v0sAQWXJnQ66tdR4TBkwQGgNQOtH3vWzL0VIV2vqctJORpuoDRuKkGQLRi-D2naoOtLxgCASRFzRqNYlnFDkLYf8iASZ5GAVvJ31mDY66CvIdi2ss/s320/untitled1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Friday, May 26,2006, Tamaulipas, Mexico<br />Friday was an early start. We met at 06:00, headed into the mountains, watched the sun rise over the sierra madre; fog crawling along the spine of the mountain. We were in search of blooming agave, but the agave weren’t yet in bloom, so instead we drove past unadorned stalk after stalk. We parked and walked to look for anything in flower. Found a cactus poking out here and there among limestone rocky hillside. Next we went to a small community in search of birds. We found a beautiful flock of military macaws squawking and carrying on. About 48 of them. Feeding on pecans in huge shady pecan trees. That kept us all occupied for a couple hours. Watching and admiring. Afterward we headed back to the room for a siesta. That night we went to a nearby park – the same one arnulfo and I had netted at last year. The net site was parallel to the small river that runs through the park, and just downslope from the vampire cave. We set our nets and captured a Lucy’s warbler with a chestnut cap. Soon after dark we began catching bats. The first, a Common Moustached bat (Pteronotus parnelli). We caught several common vampires (Desmodus rotundus) probably from the cave. We also caught a Sturnira lilium (Yellow shouldered bat). We flew everything through Bruce’s flight chamber while he took premium photos. Then tore down, packed up and headed back to the motel. It was a long day after a long day before. And yet, to think I was getting paid to do the things I had done, not exactly the sort of thing to complain about.<br /><br />Roadrunner (greater/lesser?)<br />Military macaw ~ 48 flock eating pecans in giant pecan trees<br />Common mustached bat (Pternotus parnellii)<br />Little yellow shouldered bat (Sturnira lilium)<br />Common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) – in mistnet and cave<br />Lucy’s warbler - caught in mistnet<br /><br />Ate cabrito (baby goat) and watched old Spanish movie, which Bruce insisted on narrating and predicting coming scenes<br /><br />Chunky guacamole, chips<br />Cara cara<br /><div></div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-8802548443130222602007-05-26T17:03:00.000-07:002008-04-26T17:07:32.224-07:00In search of Mormoops megalophylla, My weekend in Tamaulipas Mexico with Bruce and Jim<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyyYKgN7i6pKDnXfut2-Hmi_HCz4NmQCm2k0Kjao53D96VkPnX7j7Q6-NQUhdvMXRsKvF4EZDp0dXqz7Am9MLdmvSctCeCnhAcQ4W_Q8Sr4lCyeCT6wkXtCJlMkueQcwLhuwSx6azvOo/s1600-h/mustached.side.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193709331902696674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyyYKgN7i6pKDnXfut2-Hmi_HCz4NmQCm2k0Kjao53D96VkPnX7j7Q6-NQUhdvMXRsKvF4EZDp0dXqz7Am9MLdmvSctCeCnhAcQ4W_Q8Sr4lCyeCT6wkXtCJlMkueQcwLhuwSx6azvOo/s320/mustached.side.jpg" border="0" /></a>Thursday was a long travel day, spent in a cramped flight from phoenix to houston, where we hopped on a cramped flight from houston to brownsville. When arnulfo picked us up, I was cramped between gear and a student he had brought along. A bumpy mexican highway to Cuidad Victoria. We finally arrived and our hotel rooms had been given away so we had to find another.<br /><div></div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-57149482670882211012006-08-08T13:49:00.000-07:002008-04-26T14:08:35.856-07:00HomeAt the airport in Atlanta, the customs agent is very nice, we have a happy exchange and wish each other well. I recover my walking stick, pass through the customs baggage check and am waved through and welcomed back to the US. I joke around with James at Luigi's Pizza that I’ve eaten nothing but rice and beans for 4 weeks, and am really looking forward to a slice of pepperoni. I go about 20 gates out of my way to get starbucks coffee. I sit at the table nearly flinching from all the noise, lights, and activity. Concentrating on the tomatoey goodness of that pizza slice and the creamy carmely sweet iced macciato, I realize that I’ve heard nothing but crickets and birds for weeks. What a harsh transition an airport can be, chair legs scraping tile, babies crying, lights, signs, store fronts all competing for attention. Beep, Beep, Beep, a gate shuttle wisks past. It's good to be back.angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-15589196238016516772006-08-07T18:11:00.001-07:002008-04-26T14:08:10.369-07:00Return to Base Camp, Party at Buenos Aires<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HLD_MKHIN-sRtSKeJ6-GwY24CV5IBJih_6zfpfr61OmnWSAHoXf_6vWI8SUQzQAc8zKXl6g9bGe_za-xUl-P7rT7U-HIhHQNrB-5lzmfP9vXzRR30QYuqaMBwWmY0uQxdxoVfZcA7p0/s1600-h/2nd+half+109.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193652702758898786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HLD_MKHIN-sRtSKeJ6-GwY24CV5IBJih_6zfpfr61OmnWSAHoXf_6vWI8SUQzQAc8zKXl6g9bGe_za-xUl-P7rT7U-HIhHQNrB-5lzmfP9vXzRR30QYuqaMBwWmY0uQxdxoVfZcA7p0/s320/2nd+half+109.jpg" border="0" /></a>Day 28, Monday, August 7<br />Today we return to Base Camp from Cantiles. I get up and head down to the latrine field for the last time. I have not even attempted to use the funnel (to pee) at this camp. At each camp, we are to pee in a pvc pipe that goes into the ground, and that is done separately from the area for "solids". But these urinals are very tall, obviously made by men who didn't consider that it is easier for a woman to squat, and are pretty much impossible for me to use. On the way down the muddy path, which runs with water from last night’s rain, I run into Steve who points out a female quetzal sitting in a tree. Her green, red, and white colors are hard to distinguish where she sits so high up and still. I am happy that this is my last trip to the trenches, but the quetzal is an awesome reminder of the beauty all around out here, even along a morning walk to the bathroom, I see one of the most beautiful birds in central america. I am excited to pack up and have been overtaken for days with thoughts that my month out here is coming to a manageable close. I can now handle any hike, or anything else that I have to do because I know I will be home in my own bed, talking with people who know me, very soon. We finally leave around 9 hiking at a moderate steady pace. I am light on my feet on the hike out of Cantiles. I talk with one of the students from UK about her travels to Africa, and talk to the primatologist Kim for a good portion of the hike. .At the river my foot slides off the rock and my foot is doused in my boot. Along the trail I slip my boot fully in the mud a couple times, but mostly I have sure footing and my legs and knees hold up well over the hike. As we near the end, we are told that the time has changed back an hour in honduras, which strikes us as being quite random. We are not sure if this has just occurred and there are rumors that honduras had gone on daylight savings a while ago, but had decided to change back, prompting this seemingly out of the blue conversion. At any rate and whatever time it was, we made it back to base camp and I felt euphoric that my hiking treks were done. Email checking and an eventual final bucket shower were next on the agenda, followed by clothes sorting and repacking. Had a rum and coke with Kym. Talked with Mandy and Sarah.<br /><div></div><div>All that is left after I return to Base Camp is to reorganize my stuff for one last time and decide how best to spend my last night. I decide to walk the hour down the mountain to Buenos Aires, because there'll be a party at the Ecolodge. Sergio is going, and insists on carrying my pack since my knees are a bit sore from my long hike earlier today. My larger pack will go down on a pickup that is heading down later. That way, I’ll be ready to go to the town of Cofradia, and then the airport tomorrow. I hike with Sergio, Edwardo, and John, who has returned from his evacuation adventure and 2 day stay in the hospital. He is going to be fine. Also, the senior herpetogist, the NM herpetologist and Kim the primatologist. It is a nice group to walk with. I get the scoop on John’s evacuation and hospital stay, which was top notch. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowSuk17BMbU7pX6GzpfwOgZYGo-weDRt2DeoKX8QLHSvVT5nK33H3Ee-CuFFZpbCBNIcpY-Y6obiTqgL0_Dqwo5QZKfTNm3UiIao8MsLH023waZheOVDWp8QnPPbUfU-kNFV8d9rm1n8/s1600-h/2nd+half+113.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193653669126540402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowSuk17BMbU7pX6GzpfwOgZYGo-weDRt2DeoKX8QLHSvVT5nK33H3Ee-CuFFZpbCBNIcpY-Y6obiTqgL0_Dqwo5QZKfTNm3UiIao8MsLH023waZheOVDWp8QnPPbUfU-kNFV8d9rm1n8/s320/2nd+half+113.jpg" border="0" /></a> Along the way, we stop to visit a well liked family. A guide and his guide son (the young fast one that raced the antivenom serum back to camp after the snake bite). The guide’s wife, and their children, and her mother are all so gracious, invite us in for coffee. The mother wonders if I am from latin america. It is so beautiful to share a cup of coffee with happy gracious strangers, proud of their beautifully simple home and willing to share their time and smiles. On down the hill we go.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193655099350649986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYYvpsuaBYE2QEDbYFb0KjOKRfJXitX9y7gi-9h8-e5owfQM8wVeBsSdJj02O4MsYwEwRv_kce5CYW_TP_oQ1PYAQJ0gHg7GhGbZVS0mh9R-gjZtT6h2bZKNUR-e5_jG8ufnDZHUpdsI/s320/2nd+half+144.jpg" border="0" />Party at Buenos Aires, sleeping bag blues (intoxicated Steve plays his guitar, supine in a sleeping bag); about 12 bottles of vodka and whiskey, as well as two cases of beer are consumed by young people who have had nothing but rice and beans and an occasional coke for the last few weeks. I doubt I need to explain the joy, intensity, urgency they had to make up for lost time. To somehow get it all back, that time they were without. </div><br /><div>Tuesday, August 8, Early departure to San Pedro Sula. </div><div>Wake early despite very little sleep. The ecolodge is a mess of empty beer cans and two liter bottles of coke, and in the night some dogs have come and pulled everything out of the trash. One by one everyone is waking up, some have slept on floors, others on benches, outside and inside rooms, wherever there was an open spot. Amid the still passed out on the porch and the hung over faces of the arisen, I eat 2 fried breads plus some porridge and two cups of fresh coffee, which is quite good. I eat slow, drink my coffee and think, "I am here, right now." Then, I quickly pack my things, hike the very steep hill to the little toucan restaurant where I wait for my pickup with the others. </div><div><br /></div>angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-42866206973992214682006-08-06T17:49:00.000-07:002007-07-22T18:02:48.246-07:00How to think like a batDay 27 , Sunday, August 6 <br />Although we finished our netting last night, we decide to put up two nets, a 12 m and 6 m, to see if we can catch any bats. Sergio and I teach Helen and Fernie how to go through the thought process to put up nets, where to place them, what sort of things to think about. We describe to Helen and Fernie how to think about bat flight and where a bat typically would be flying. In the jungle, bats fly along trails and the open space above streams, using them the same way we use trails. A bend in a stream is a great place to put a net. As the bat flies around a corner it may not see or have time to maneuver around a net that is in its path. We set our nets at a bend in a nearby stream and capture 5 Sturnira ludovici. We go through the identification process and ecology of bats with the students back at camp.angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301389901286857070.post-68663460756487668832006-08-05T17:43:00.000-07:002007-07-22T17:49:43.822-07:00Is that mud or chocolate on your cake?Day 26, Saturday, August 5 <br />Last official bat netting night, but we don't catch any bats. Sergio and I pass the time talking about bands we like. He checks out the music on my ipod and the large selection of 70’s tunes confirms that I’m old. We meet up with Edwardo and Dom and two volunteers, and hike back to camp. Two large pieces of chocolate cake, specially made for the last night at camp, have been saved back for us. I drop my piece in the mud, but don’t think twice about picking it up, removing the dirty part, and eating it. Chocolate is a rare commodity out here. We eat the cake and make a fire in the fire pit. We are evidently fairly noisy because Bruce soon comes over and is angry because he has to be awake in a few hours to do bird surveys. Understandable. Our little party breaks up, and I go to my hammock.angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17564647523281693396noreply@blogger.com0