17.1 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Sunday, November 11, 2012
I had thought I would go for a walk at Five Rivers first, but when I got there the parking lot was packed and overflowing... and the thought of having to put up with that many people just did not appeal. So I headed over to the Lions Park in Niskayuna (which was also packed - guess folks appreciate a warm Sunday afternoon in November) and got on the bike an hour earlier than I planned.
Rode all the way to partway up GE's hill - then stopped to take pictures of a flock of geese grazing on the lawn, decided I'd had enough of hills, and headed back. Stopped just past the Niska Isle bridge on the way back to watch a heron hunting and some ducks dabbling. Just before the small parking area east of the Lions Park, I spotted a small raptor in the trees near the river. Stopped to take a picture and of course it flew off, followed a short while later by a red-tailed hawk that shrieked at me before heading for a different perch. Watching jumpy birds while wearing flourescent yellow just isn't a good plan.
Went all the way to the top of the hill past the water treatment plant - there was a deer crossing the grass as I pulled up, and on the way back I spotted a bat fluttering around and later on what I think might have been an owl - the brief glimpse I had as it flew across the path suggested a very rounded head. I considered doing a few more miles but decided to call it an evening - I'll have plenty of chances to ride in the dark over the coming weeks.
Foot ached on and off, but nothing too bad. My left knee hollered at me a couple of times - not sure what that was about, unless it's trying to warn me that favoring my right foot is stressing out my left side.
JMH
Showing posts with label bats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bats. Show all posts
Monday, October 22, 2012
1.5 Mile Walk at Buckingham Pond
Monday, October 22, 2012
Had to be back at work this evening, plus my legs are still pretty tired from yesterday... so I settled for a short walk, two loops around Buckingham Pond. Not many people around, which was a nice change from all the folks who are often there on summer evenings. I should try to get back soon when there's some sunshine - I suspect some of the trees will look great, but I don't know how much longer they'll be holding onto those leaves...
Monday, October 22, 2012
Had to be back at work this evening, plus my legs are still pretty tired from yesterday... so I settled for a short walk, two loops around Buckingham Pond. Not many people around, which was a nice change from all the folks who are often there on summer evenings. I should try to get back soon when there's some sunshine - I suspect some of the trees will look great, but I don't know how much longer they'll be holding onto those leaves...
As I started my 2nd loop, the flocks of local crows began their flight to wherever they were roosting for the night... I know they can be pests, but seeing hundreds of crows streaming across the sky always gives me a thrill. While I was watching them I also spotted not one but two bats fluttering around, very good to see!
JMH
Monday, September 24, 2012
FALL OR AUTUMN... WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, IT'S HERE!
2.7 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Monday, September 24, 2012
Of course, we all know that autumn "officially" arrived on Saturday morning, during the autumnal equinox - but the clearest sign of the changing seasons came to me tonight, when I decided to wear long pants for my walk at Five Rivers. Other than for work, I can't recall the last time I wore long pants... sometime back in May I suspect.
Another sign of course is the ever decreasing hours of daylight that I lament very year around this time.
Nothing unusual at Five Rivers, just a few bunnies, deer, and of course lots of birds. The itchy duck mob was splashing around in the Heron Pond, and I briefly saw the resident heron at the far end of the Beaver Pond until he decided to fly off. A flock of geese landed on the Beaver Pond just as it was getting dark, and two of the beavers were out and about. I also spotted a bat fluttering around - I'm guessing it's harder to find bugs to eat with the chilly weather, which is too bad - our bats need all the breaks they can get right now.
I did hear some howling and yipping when I got back to my car - sounded like it was off past the DEC center up the hill, and I really couldn't be sure if it was coyotes (my hope) or just dogs at one of the houses over that way.
JMH
2.7 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Monday, September 24, 2012
Of course, we all know that autumn "officially" arrived on Saturday morning, during the autumnal equinox - but the clearest sign of the changing seasons came to me tonight, when I decided to wear long pants for my walk at Five Rivers. Other than for work, I can't recall the last time I wore long pants... sometime back in May I suspect.
Another sign of course is the ever decreasing hours of daylight that I lament very year around this time.
Nothing unusual at Five Rivers, just a few bunnies, deer, and of course lots of birds. The itchy duck mob was splashing around in the Heron Pond, and I briefly saw the resident heron at the far end of the Beaver Pond until he decided to fly off. A flock of geese landed on the Beaver Pond just as it was getting dark, and two of the beavers were out and about. I also spotted a bat fluttering around - I'm guessing it's harder to find bugs to eat with the chilly weather, which is too bad - our bats need all the breaks they can get right now.
I did hear some howling and yipping when I got back to my car - sounded like it was off past the DEC center up the hill, and I really couldn't be sure if it was coyotes (my hope) or just dogs at one of the houses over that way.
JMH
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
1.4 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Since the streams up at Thacher were running higher than normal, I decided to stop by Five Rivers on the way home to see how things looked there. The parking lot was unusually busy - turns out there was a program about nighthawks going on, apparently it's not uncommon for them to migrate through the area around the end of August.
Took a spin through the gardens, said hi to the frogs, then headed down the hill to the ponds. Along the way I saw signs that the trails along the stream are closed - while the streams aren't that high now, there were clear signs that they flooded earlier in the week. A tree had fallen on the shore of the Heron Pond - a gorgeous old tree with a lot of character. Sigh. Startled the heron, which flew up to a perch overlooking the pond, and spotted a single duck.
Lots of signs of flooding along the marsh side of the Beaver Pond, and the dam the beavers were building along the spillway had been washed away. Spotted one beaver out in the pond. Back at the parking lot, I spent a while watching the bats - I think there were four of them in all, zipping around catching insects. I always enjoy seeing them, both because I think they're really cool and because it shows there are still some that have survived white-nose syndrome - hope they make it through this winter, too.
JMH
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Since the streams up at Thacher were running higher than normal, I decided to stop by Five Rivers on the way home to see how things looked there. The parking lot was unusually busy - turns out there was a program about nighthawks going on, apparently it's not uncommon for them to migrate through the area around the end of August.
Took a spin through the gardens, said hi to the frogs, then headed down the hill to the ponds. Along the way I saw signs that the trails along the stream are closed - while the streams aren't that high now, there were clear signs that they flooded earlier in the week. A tree had fallen on the shore of the Heron Pond - a gorgeous old tree with a lot of character. Sigh. Startled the heron, which flew up to a perch overlooking the pond, and spotted a single duck.
Lots of signs of flooding along the marsh side of the Beaver Pond, and the dam the beavers were building along the spillway had been washed away. Spotted one beaver out in the pond. Back at the parking lot, I spent a while watching the bats - I think there were four of them in all, zipping around catching insects. I always enjoy seeing them, both because I think they're really cool and because it shows there are still some that have survived white-nose syndrome - hope they make it through this winter, too.
JMH
Monday, October 25, 2010
3.3 Mile Run in the Pine Bush
Monday, October 25, 2010
Today was the first day I tried my new strategy to get my backside out for a run or a ride after work... essentially it came down to taking my running gear to work and heading out directly from there instead of going home first and falling prey to the lure of dinner and either the couch or bed. And it worked... in some ways. Unfortunately I didn't have much handy to eat after wrapping up my last extra help session so I went with a Powerbar and some chips while driving over to the Pine Bush, which may have contributed to the digestive issues I had about 1 1/2 miles into the run. I was halfway around the perimeter loop on the Great Dune trails, and when I got to the connector trail for the Madison Ave Pinelands I decided discretion was the better part of valor and called it an early night. While I wish I'd done another three miles or so (my original plan) it was a good decision, especially since it started raining not long after I got back to the car.
It was good to be back in the Pine Bush, even if I didn't stay as long as I'd hoped. We're having a couple of days of unusually warm weather, so it was a great evening to be out running. I startled a woodcock just after hitting the trails, and watched a bat zipping around in the meadow that's been subject to much habitat restoration over the last few years. After that it was too dark for me to see much, though I did spot some glowing eyes (deer and in one case a housecat) in the light of my headlamp. Of course, in a couple more weeks I'll be doing all my evening runs in the dark... sigh.
JMH
Monday, October 25, 2010
Today was the first day I tried my new strategy to get my backside out for a run or a ride after work... essentially it came down to taking my running gear to work and heading out directly from there instead of going home first and falling prey to the lure of dinner and either the couch or bed. And it worked... in some ways. Unfortunately I didn't have much handy to eat after wrapping up my last extra help session so I went with a Powerbar and some chips while driving over to the Pine Bush, which may have contributed to the digestive issues I had about 1 1/2 miles into the run. I was halfway around the perimeter loop on the Great Dune trails, and when I got to the connector trail for the Madison Ave Pinelands I decided discretion was the better part of valor and called it an early night. While I wish I'd done another three miles or so (my original plan) it was a good decision, especially since it started raining not long after I got back to the car.
It was good to be back in the Pine Bush, even if I didn't stay as long as I'd hoped. We're having a couple of days of unusually warm weather, so it was a great evening to be out running. I startled a woodcock just after hitting the trails, and watched a bat zipping around in the meadow that's been subject to much habitat restoration over the last few years. After that it was too dark for me to see much, though I did spot some glowing eyes (deer and in one case a housecat) in the light of my headlamp. Of course, in a couple more weeks I'll be doing all my evening runs in the dark... sigh.
JMH
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
19.5 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
For whatever reason (maybe a reaction to a day of pre-back-to-school meetings?) this evening it just felt good hammering out some miles on the bike. I kept up a pretty good pace from the Lions Park over to a ways past the Colonie Mohawk River Park, and even skipped a trip down to the riverfront there because I knew I'd get sidetracked.
Though I did make up for it somewhat when I rode out to Lock 7... first I spent a while watching the dozens of gulls perched on the edge of the Lock 7 dam...
... and then I noticed an egret out in the "bay" next to the upstream entrance to the lock, so I walked out on the concrete pier and spent a while watching him and taking pictures.
As I was walking back to my back I realized there was also a heron out there... and startled a second heron that was near the shoreline as well. Unfortunately at that point it was getting too dark for me to get any decent shots of him flying off.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
For whatever reason (maybe a reaction to a day of pre-back-to-school meetings?) this evening it just felt good hammering out some miles on the bike. I kept up a pretty good pace from the Lions Park over to a ways past the Colonie Mohawk River Park, and even skipped a trip down to the riverfront there because I knew I'd get sidetracked.
Though I did make up for it somewhat when I rode out to Lock 7... first I spent a while watching the dozens of gulls perched on the edge of the Lock 7 dam...
... and then I noticed an egret out in the "bay" next to the upstream entrance to the lock, so I walked out on the concrete pier and spent a while watching him and taking pictures.
As I was walking back to my back I realized there was also a heron out there... and startled a second heron that was near the shoreline as well. Unfortunately at that point it was getting too dark for me to get any decent shots of him flying off.
Back at the Lions Park I was pleased to see a bat fluttering around... now if only I could have gotten him to eat the bugs that were biting me as I was trying to load my bike on the car and get ready to head home!
JMH
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
7.9 Mile Run at Thacher Park
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Headed up to the Open Space Institute section of Thacher Park for a run this evening... I was initially surprised to see the ribbons marking the Indian Ladder 15k course, but then I remembered that at least once before I'd run up there during the week after the race and the flagging was still up. Not that it mattered much, since I didn't intend to spend much time on that course, having run it two weeks ago (on the day the race was originally scheduled.)
Instead, I followed the old road up to the old quarry, then took a section of the ski loop that I've only run once before down the hill and around to the Long Path. Followed another old road out into a field - I suspect if I'd kept going I would have eventually ended up on a farm lane out to Old Stage Rd, which leads to the current local northern terminus to the Long Path on rt 146 (though there is one more section blazed along the Mohawk River and the old Erie Canal, west of Schenectady.) One of the coolest parts of the run was along these trails, when I was able to stand at the edge of a field and watch about a dozen large dragonflies darting around overhead, presumably on the prowl for mosquitos (go, dragonflies, go!) It was wild to hear their wings buzzing as they zipped around!
After that I followed the doubletrack back to one of the overlooks, with a nice view out over Altamont and off toward Albany and beyond. There was loud music drifting up from the direction of Altamont; at first I thought it was incredibly obnoxious that anyone would be blastying their music that loud, then I realized it was a band playing at the annual Altamont Fair... spent a few minutes enjoying the view, then hit the Long Path again, a section I haven't run in quite a while. Actually I'm not sure I ever ran this exact section, since they've re-routed a lot of Long Path on the OSI property over the past couple of years. The last time I ran these trails I found it very slow going, with the trails very uneven with lots of poor footing. Either my slowing down has improved my opinion of these trails over the last year or two, or they've different paths, because I found them very runnable.
When I finally came out on the gravel road I was tempted to head down to the hang glider launch, but decided that since it was getting late and I didn't have a headlamp packed I'd be better off heading back to the car. So I looped around on the dirt roads until I could take the hiking trail back up the ridge to the old quarry, then retraced the route I took on the way in today. Saw a few more rabbits along the way, and even passed a couple out walking their dogs - the first people I saw today. Got back to the car in plenty of time before dark, changed into some dry clothes, and then headed home. While the markers I passed reminded me that I missed running the Indian Ladder 15k this year (hopefully next year they'll move it back to its usual spot in the schedule!) it was fun to get out on a bunch of trails I don't usually see - something which can be a trick, given that I usually run two races and numerous training runs up here every year.
On the way home I had another cool moment... as I was coming down off the hill from Thacher into New Salem, I started spotting bats fluttering around... there was just enough light to see them against the sky. Must have been a dozen or more in the space of about a quarter mile... perhaps they have a cave nearby where they can roost? All I know is once I was down the hill, no more bats (at least that I could see, but then I did have to keep my eyes down on the road instead of up in the sky.) After all the problems with White Nose Syndrome killing off a sizeable percentage of bats in New York (as well as eight other states in the northeastern US) it's good to see bats out and about this summer.
JMH
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Headed up to the Open Space Institute section of Thacher Park for a run this evening... I was initially surprised to see the ribbons marking the Indian Ladder 15k course, but then I remembered that at least once before I'd run up there during the week after the race and the flagging was still up. Not that it mattered much, since I didn't intend to spend much time on that course, having run it two weeks ago (on the day the race was originally scheduled.)
Instead, I followed the old road up to the old quarry, then took a section of the ski loop that I've only run once before down the hill and around to the Long Path. Followed another old road out into a field - I suspect if I'd kept going I would have eventually ended up on a farm lane out to Old Stage Rd, which leads to the current local northern terminus to the Long Path on rt 146 (though there is one more section blazed along the Mohawk River and the old Erie Canal, west of Schenectady.) One of the coolest parts of the run was along these trails, when I was able to stand at the edge of a field and watch about a dozen large dragonflies darting around overhead, presumably on the prowl for mosquitos (go, dragonflies, go!) It was wild to hear their wings buzzing as they zipped around!
After that I followed the doubletrack back to one of the overlooks, with a nice view out over Altamont and off toward Albany and beyond. There was loud music drifting up from the direction of Altamont; at first I thought it was incredibly obnoxious that anyone would be blastying their music that loud, then I realized it was a band playing at the annual Altamont Fair... spent a few minutes enjoying the view, then hit the Long Path again, a section I haven't run in quite a while. Actually I'm not sure I ever ran this exact section, since they've re-routed a lot of Long Path on the OSI property over the past couple of years. The last time I ran these trails I found it very slow going, with the trails very uneven with lots of poor footing. Either my slowing down has improved my opinion of these trails over the last year or two, or they've different paths, because I found them very runnable.
When I finally came out on the gravel road I was tempted to head down to the hang glider launch, but decided that since it was getting late and I didn't have a headlamp packed I'd be better off heading back to the car. So I looped around on the dirt roads until I could take the hiking trail back up the ridge to the old quarry, then retraced the route I took on the way in today. Saw a few more rabbits along the way, and even passed a couple out walking their dogs - the first people I saw today. Got back to the car in plenty of time before dark, changed into some dry clothes, and then headed home. While the markers I passed reminded me that I missed running the Indian Ladder 15k this year (hopefully next year they'll move it back to its usual spot in the schedule!) it was fun to get out on a bunch of trails I don't usually see - something which can be a trick, given that I usually run two races and numerous training runs up here every year.
On the way home I had another cool moment... as I was coming down off the hill from Thacher into New Salem, I started spotting bats fluttering around... there was just enough light to see them against the sky. Must have been a dozen or more in the space of about a quarter mile... perhaps they have a cave nearby where they can roost? All I know is once I was down the hill, no more bats (at least that I could see, but then I did have to keep my eyes down on the road instead of up in the sky.) After all the problems with White Nose Syndrome killing off a sizeable percentage of bats in New York (as well as eight other states in the northeastern US) it's good to see bats out and about this summer.
JMH
Monday, August 16, 2010
WHAT AN EVENING FOR WILDLIFE!
1.9 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Monday, August 16, 2010
Yesterday's activities left me sore and more than a bit whupped, so I ditched my plans to go for a ride today and ended up heading over to Five Rivers late in the evening. I was very surprised at how many people were there, especially with kids in tow... the turtle bridge and the beaver platform were both fairly crowded, and I ended up spending very little time at them. On the plus side... I have to support parents encouraging their kids to enjoy nature and the outdoors, even if I wish they could do it a bit more quietly...
I started out checking the flower garden for hawk moths... no luck. So I headed down the hill to the Heron Pond, which was actually hosting a great blue heron tonight. Spent a while trying to take pictures without scaring him off, and got a nice shot when he finally decided to head to a more secluded part of the pond. The usual ducks were also puttering around in the background, and I spotted a couple of frogs camouflaged by all the green algae.
Since the turtle bridge was crowded I skipped going there and headed across the boardwalk through the swampy side of the Beaver Pond. I could hear a red-bellied woodpecker calling somewhere off in the trees, but the big surprise was the hummngbird that buzzed up and landed on a branch over the trail, then took off to feed at some flowers before landing again briefly and finally heading off for wherever he roosts in at night.
Briefly spotted one of the beavers from the far end of the pond... perhaps they were waiting for nightfall to be out and about. There were a couple of turtles out on the logs as I walked up the hill and then looped back down to the turtle bridge... which had another group on it. They must have spotted one of the snapping turtles, because they were saying something about never having seen one that big... I wonder if they saw the one of the medium sized ones or the really big fella?
From there it was back across the road to the Heron Pond, where I spent a while watching the heron, the ducks, and especially the cedar waxwings... while I was there I heard something splashing in the water, which turned out to be a fairly large snapping turtle. I followed the paved road back up the hill to the top of the Vlomankill trail, then decided to loop through the field and old orchard before heading back to the car.
Stopped at the Sunfish Pond for a moment and not only got to watch the bats fluttering around but managed to get a couple of halfway decent photos as well (as opposed to the vaguely bat-shaped blurs I usually get.) As I started to head back down the trail to the parking lot, I heard something crashing through the bushes... and a moment later two raccoons popped out, saw me, and dashed up the nearest tree, where they clung staring at me while I tried to get a photo . Finally they decided I wasn't going to chase them, came back down the tree, and disappeared into the bushes. They seemed on the smaller side, so I'm guessing they were youngsters...
When I decided to go for a walk this evening I debated about going to Five Rivers, since it's usually the place I'll go... tonight definitely reminded me why that's the case.
JMH
1.9 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Monday, August 16, 2010
Yesterday's activities left me sore and more than a bit whupped, so I ditched my plans to go for a ride today and ended up heading over to Five Rivers late in the evening. I was very surprised at how many people were there, especially with kids in tow... the turtle bridge and the beaver platform were both fairly crowded, and I ended up spending very little time at them. On the plus side... I have to support parents encouraging their kids to enjoy nature and the outdoors, even if I wish they could do it a bit more quietly...
I started out checking the flower garden for hawk moths... no luck. So I headed down the hill to the Heron Pond, which was actually hosting a great blue heron tonight. Spent a while trying to take pictures without scaring him off, and got a nice shot when he finally decided to head to a more secluded part of the pond. The usual ducks were also puttering around in the background, and I spotted a couple of frogs camouflaged by all the green algae.
Since the turtle bridge was crowded I skipped going there and headed across the boardwalk through the swampy side of the Beaver Pond. I could hear a red-bellied woodpecker calling somewhere off in the trees, but the big surprise was the hummngbird that buzzed up and landed on a branch over the trail, then took off to feed at some flowers before landing again briefly and finally heading off for wherever he roosts in at night.
Briefly spotted one of the beavers from the far end of the pond... perhaps they were waiting for nightfall to be out and about. There were a couple of turtles out on the logs as I walked up the hill and then looped back down to the turtle bridge... which had another group on it. They must have spotted one of the snapping turtles, because they were saying something about never having seen one that big... I wonder if they saw the one of the medium sized ones or the really big fella?
From there it was back across the road to the Heron Pond, where I spent a while watching the heron, the ducks, and especially the cedar waxwings... while I was there I heard something splashing in the water, which turned out to be a fairly large snapping turtle. I followed the paved road back up the hill to the top of the Vlomankill trail, then decided to loop through the field and old orchard before heading back to the car.
Stopped at the Sunfish Pond for a moment and not only got to watch the bats fluttering around but managed to get a couple of halfway decent photos as well (as opposed to the vaguely bat-shaped blurs I usually get.) As I started to head back down the trail to the parking lot, I heard something crashing through the bushes... and a moment later two raccoons popped out, saw me, and dashed up the nearest tree, where they clung staring at me while I tried to get a photo . Finally they decided I wasn't going to chase them, came back down the tree, and disappeared into the bushes. They seemed on the smaller side, so I'm guessing they were youngsters...
When I decided to go for a walk this evening I debated about going to Five Rivers, since it's usually the place I'll go... tonight definitely reminded me why that's the case.
JMH
Thursday, August 05, 2010
2.1 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Thursday, August 5, 2010
After a day spent trying to convince myself to get out for a run (I absolutely loathe the heat and humidity we've had much of this week...) and then briefly considering a ride at the Corning Preserve (until I verified that Thursdays are when the summer outdoor concerts happen there) I declared today a rest day and went for a short evening walk at Five Rivers, where the bugs really appreciated the fact that I didn't want to stink of bug spray for the rest of the evening... I won't miss the biting insects once cooler weather returns...
The highlights of my walk were
Thursday, August 5, 2010
After a day spent trying to convince myself to get out for a run (I absolutely loathe the heat and humidity we've had much of this week...) and then briefly considering a ride at the Corning Preserve (until I verified that Thursdays are when the summer outdoor concerts happen there) I declared today a rest day and went for a short evening walk at Five Rivers, where the bugs really appreciated the fact that I didn't want to stink of bug spray for the rest of the evening... I won't miss the biting insects once cooler weather returns...
The highlights of my walk were
- watching the cedar waxwings zoom around over several of the ponds... there must have been a couple dozen of them darting all over the place, presumably eating insects (go, cedar waxwings, go!) and their aerial acrobatics were incredible.
- spotting a buck deer on the edge of the Birdwatchers Path... he moved to the opposite side of the path when I tried to get closer to get a better photo, and then a doe popped out of the bushes and joined him, before they both decided to head for cover.
- watching the beavers cruise around the far end of the Beaver Pond... there were three there briefly, including one that submerged for a while then came up pushing a big clump of roots and mud and proceeded to pack it against the dam they've built on top of the dam/spillway at the pond's outlet... so now I can say I've seen a wild beaver actually working on a dam, how cool is that?
- watching three bats flit around above the parking lot when I got back to the car, presumably eating insects (go, bats, go!) I even managed to catch a couple of vaguely bat-shaped blurs in the photos I took...
Next week I'll try to get over there for a run and cover a bit more distance than I did tonight.
JMH
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
It's Not Looking Good for Bats in the Northeast...
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The NYS DEC released a report today on the impact of white-nose syndrome on local bat populations, based on information gathered in early 2009... and the news is definitely bad. On the average bat populations were down 91% in the region that so far seems to be hardest hit by the bat die-offs, a set of caves in eastern NY, western MA, and VT. Different species have been affected at different levels, possibly because of differences in preferred hibernation environments. More detailed info can be found here.
Little Brown Bat, the most common variety in the Northeast
(photo coutesy of NH Fish & Game Dept)
White-nose syndrome (WNS) was first discovered in NY in the 2006-07 winter season when it was discovered that large numbers of hibernating bats were dying, with a white fungus circling the nose of many of the dead bats. Since then the problem has spread into neighboring areas, with confirmed cases in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia. While a variety of agencies are researching the problem, to date no one has found an explanation for the die-offs. It isn't clear if the fungus is actually the cause or simply an opportunistic infection; researchers are also looking at the possibility of warm weather disrupting the feeding and hibernation cycle, infection by various pathogens, and effects of pesticides on the bats' food supply. Since it is unclear what's causing the problem and how it is spread, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has requested closing many caves in the affected areas and various cave organizations have advised cavers to limit activities in some areas and disinfect their gear after use. Unfortunately, bats are migratory animals, which makes it extremely difficult to slow the spread of whatever is causing the problem, especially when we have no understanding of what's actually happening. Current estimates place the overall deaths at approximately half a million bats. More info can be found at the US Fish & Wildlife Service site.
Little brown bat with WNS (photo courtesy of the US FWS)
I know some folks would say who cares that a bunch of bats are dying - bats tend to get a pretty bad rap, after all - but this is a huge problem. Beyond the obvious issue of a large group of animals dying for unknown reasons, bats eat insects, with many species consuming their own body weight worth of bugs each night. Half a million dead bats is a lot of insects that go uneaten, which will eventually have effects on crops and people. Besides - bats are incredibly cool. (Admittedly, any critter that eats bugs gets a top grade in my book.) I love watching them flit around at dusk in the summer and I'll never understand why people freak out when one accidentally gets indoors (it's not like the bat wants to be inside, after all.) Ann and I have even talked about building a bat house for her backyard, in hopes of attracting some (and maybe cut down on the mosquito population near her house.) So my hope is that the resources that are being devoted to studying white-nose syndrome will pay off and we'll get a handle on the problem and perhaps be able to do something to help. In the meantime, let's all keep our fingers crossed for the bats in the Northeast... they need all the help they can get to survive the current winter season.
JMH
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The NYS DEC released a report today on the impact of white-nose syndrome on local bat populations, based on information gathered in early 2009... and the news is definitely bad. On the average bat populations were down 91% in the region that so far seems to be hardest hit by the bat die-offs, a set of caves in eastern NY, western MA, and VT. Different species have been affected at different levels, possibly because of differences in preferred hibernation environments. More detailed info can be found here.
Little Brown Bat, the most common variety in the Northeast
(photo coutesy of NH Fish & Game Dept)
White-nose syndrome (WNS) was first discovered in NY in the 2006-07 winter season when it was discovered that large numbers of hibernating bats were dying, with a white fungus circling the nose of many of the dead bats. Since then the problem has spread into neighboring areas, with confirmed cases in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia. While a variety of agencies are researching the problem, to date no one has found an explanation for the die-offs. It isn't clear if the fungus is actually the cause or simply an opportunistic infection; researchers are also looking at the possibility of warm weather disrupting the feeding and hibernation cycle, infection by various pathogens, and effects of pesticides on the bats' food supply. Since it is unclear what's causing the problem and how it is spread, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has requested closing many caves in the affected areas and various cave organizations have advised cavers to limit activities in some areas and disinfect their gear after use. Unfortunately, bats are migratory animals, which makes it extremely difficult to slow the spread of whatever is causing the problem, especially when we have no understanding of what's actually happening. Current estimates place the overall deaths at approximately half a million bats. More info can be found at the US Fish & Wildlife Service site.
Little brown bat with WNS (photo courtesy of the US FWS)
I know some folks would say who cares that a bunch of bats are dying - bats tend to get a pretty bad rap, after all - but this is a huge problem. Beyond the obvious issue of a large group of animals dying for unknown reasons, bats eat insects, with many species consuming their own body weight worth of bugs each night. Half a million dead bats is a lot of insects that go uneaten, which will eventually have effects on crops and people. Besides - bats are incredibly cool. (Admittedly, any critter that eats bugs gets a top grade in my book.) I love watching them flit around at dusk in the summer and I'll never understand why people freak out when one accidentally gets indoors (it's not like the bat wants to be inside, after all.) Ann and I have even talked about building a bat house for her backyard, in hopes of attracting some (and maybe cut down on the mosquito population near her house.) So my hope is that the resources that are being devoted to studying white-nose syndrome will pay off and we'll get a handle on the problem and perhaps be able to do something to help. In the meantime, let's all keep our fingers crossed for the bats in the Northeast... they need all the help they can get to survive the current winter season.
JMH
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