Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 4:37 am, sunset 11:27 pm for a total day length of 18 hours and 49 minutes. Tomorrow will be 1 minute and 22 seconds shorter.
Sunshine and blue skies continued with an overnight low of 50 to a midday high of 76ยบ. Thank goodness for that brisk breeze!
While enjoying the lovely afternoon swimming the good dog at First Lake, a single Swallow swooped back and forth in front of me, putting a dent in a newly hatched swarm of flies and midges hovering just above the still water. I immediately snapped to attention, trying to identify it.
The erratic flight was almost normal for any acrobat chasing gyrating insects. But that light brown color? As I zipped through the possibilities and eliminated them all, I realized it had to be a Little Brown Bat. A bat! If only it would slow down so I could SEE it!
As if on cue, the little mammal hit the water with an “oops!” and other ultrasonic curses, and floated, suddenly still. It couldn’t lift off. I leapt up, wondering how to help it; maybe it would climb onto the Chuck-it if I could reach it. No need! It was swimming! As it headed right towards me, quickly stroking the 10’ to shore, (GOLD!) I could see its bony little wrists and perky little ears. That sure cinched the ID! It immediately disappeared under the bank quite close to me.
I slowly waded along the bank, peering into the shadows of the undercut, wondering where it went. Then I found it clinging with minute claws about 6” up, its little face looking back at me, trembling. Its grayish neck and belly were wet and a bit disheveled. I took a few photos with my phone and backed away. Nobody would believe me without a photo! After a few minutes, it was out flying around as if nothing had happened.
Checking the photos, I noticed a myriad of little white specks all over its face. Mites? Fungal spores? A friend contacted a NPS regional biologist who said it was unlikely to be White Nose Syndrome this time of the season as bats will groom off any fungus while they are active. The specks could be mites of sediment from the water surface. As I had just observed, bats can’t take off from the water or ground and have to climb a tree or rock and take off from there.
I guess even a short way up is enough for lift-off for a 3-4.5” long flying mammal that only weighs 0.29 ounces, about as much as a quarter and a penny, give or take a few flies.
The ADFG website states the Little Brown Bat, Myotis lucifugus, is nocturnal and that the short summer nights at high latitudes reduces the time available for foraging. Indeed, the Latin, “lucifugus” means “light fleeing”. I haven’t seen one in town for a long time, and then usually in the fall at night, swooping after moths attracted to the streetlights.
Apparently, this little one didn’t want to wait until midnight for supper. I’m so pleased I happened to be there at the right place and time to marvel at the sight.
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=littlebrownbat.main
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