Nets & Bat Catching & Owls!
11 August 2017
The first night of bat catching had a zero result – the bats were there but flying higher than the nets would reach. Of course this was valuable experience for everybody in setting up and taking down nets. One of the Park rangers, Charley, had an idea for hoisting the nets higher using a system that has been used in the highlands to catch an invasive fly. By using this system with 2 nets Josh hopes they will be able to get the nets high enough to be in the bats foraging area. So, fingers crossed!
The team did get a treat though. An owl decided to show up and hunt the giant grasshoppers which are attracted to the lights. One of the volunteers, Aura Banda, snapped amazing shots of the owl as it flew back and forth between its hunting perches. After a while it saw a mouse on the far side of the street and two seconds later the mouse was at the pearly gates wondering how it got there. Check out the photos in the Gallery
Josh is really impressed with the Park rangers and their skills at erecting such a high mist net so fast. Sadly, the second night of catching did not result in any caught bats. The lights were the main factor. They do bring in insect’s and bats but they also make the nets more visible. They will be trying next to some caves as there are reports of the bats using them as night roosts.