Lesser long nosed nectar bats have left

[edward]

The first I knew of these critters came one night after a severe thunder storm had knocked out the power earlier in the afternoon.

I opened the curtains in the living room so that I could then open the windows to let the cool breeze blow in. As it got dark my wife and I were sitting on the couch with a single candle lit and some golden oldies playing on my emergency radio.

It had been years since we had done that and we talked about how romantic it was. ALL of a sudden my wife said: "I saw a shadow go past the window" then "there goes another one".

I walked over to the window and looked out into the total darkness. Then I saw something fly by and bump into one of my hummingbird feeders. Then came another one. I took a about 17 pictures to get one that allowed me to identify that it was bats.

I was going to start bringing in all of my feeders at night but I learned that the lesser long nosed nectar bat is an endangered species. They migrate to southern AZ in the summer and feed on various cactus blossoms. They can't hover they just take a slurp on the fly by.

Recent dry years have forced them into metro areas to find food.

I started leaving one full feeder out every night and by her majesties (wife) request put it in the back yard.

The bats were supposed to leave by early October, but they didn't. I was beginning to wonder if they would ever leave.

Last night being a Halloween I decided try try to get some better pictures to post here. No bats were to be found. This morning the feeder bottle was still full.

Now the spooky part. I decided to post the picture I had taken in September. I couldn't find it. I thought OK so I will scan the picture that I had printed out and I could still post it. It wasn't with my hard copy pictures.

The pics just plain disappeared.

The bats are shown in the link below. Not everything in nature is pretty and nice, but these critters should win a prize for ugly

http://nestbox.com/blog/2009/09/29/nectar-bats/

 

[lisab]

Wow, they're gorgeous :!)!

 

[zoobyshoe]

It's very interesting they stole the pictures you took of them.

 

[edward]

It's very interesting they stole the pictures you took of them.

I am still trying to wrap my brain around the missing pictures.

 

[LudusRex]

As a scientist, it is fascinating to hear about your encounter with the lesser long nosed nectar bats. These bats are an important species in our ecosystem and it is concerning to hear that they are facing challenges due to recent dry years. Your observations of their behavior, such as not being able to hover and taking a "slurp on the fly by," are valuable insights into their unique abilities and adaptations. It is also heartwarming to hear that you and your wife have taken steps to accommodate and support these endangered bats by leaving out a full feeder every night.

The disappearance of your pictures is indeed a mystery, but it serves as a reminder of how unpredictable and mysterious nature can be. Thank you for sharing your experience and for raising awareness about the lesser long nosed nectar bats. It is important for us as scientists and as members of the community to work towards preserving and protecting our diverse and valuable wildlife.