Monday, June 18, 2012

Going Batty!

Photo by Peggy Coleman, June, 2012.
Did you know that 2012 is the Year of the Bat?  Just look and see how many batty things are going on in Arizona this summer:

Arizona Audubon Center - Birds n' Beer (this month its Bats n Beer) this Thursday, June 21st from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.:  Drop into the Audubon Center after work for a brew and learn a thing or two about bats. This month it Bats of Arizona with Bill Burger from the Arizona Game and Fish Department.  Did you know there are 28 species of bats in Arizona and over 1000 worldwide?  Location: Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center at 3131 S Central Ave., Phoenix. RSVP at Audubon's Facebook page www.facebook.com/audubonaz  or via email: vramos@audubon.org
Arizona Game and Fish Department's
award-winning Bat Poster.

Meet the Bats at Tohono Chul Park, Tucson, June 23rd 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and The Exciting Night Life of Bats! at 7:00 p.m.:  Wildlife biologist Debbie Buecher and bat biologist Dr. Ronnie Sidner are joined by some of their “batty” friends in a free ranging presentation that introduces visitors to several of Arizona’s resident bat species. They will share amazing facts about bat habits and habitat and shatter some long held myths and misconceptions. Then at 7:00 p.m. conservation biologist Karen Krebbs gives a presentation detailing her recent research, in particular that being conducted on the grounds of TohonoChul, and shares stories about these beneficial mammals of the night skies. As a special treat, Krebbs will bring along one of her research subjects and take the audience outside to listen for some of the local bat chatter!  Location: Tohono Chul Park, Tucson

Bat Night at Sonoran Desert Museum, Tucson, August 4th at 7:00 p.m.:  Bat Biologist Karen Krebbs will talk about these unique and fascinating mammals of the evening skies and present a live bat at the end of the lecture. Lecture times are 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. and the program is free with Summer Saturday Evening's admission. Bat acoustic equipment will be set up outside of the Coati Exhibit from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. to listen to calls of free-flying bats as they navigate through the night.  Location:  Sonoran Desert Museum, Tucson.

All About Bats at Usery Mountain Regional Park, August 10th at 12:00 p.m.:  What makes bats such fascinating creatures? What do they do in the dark? What are the different kinds of bats that live in this area? If you would like to know the answers to these questions, or any questions you may have about bats, then this one-hour presentation is for you! Bring your sandwich to the “Brown-Bag It” series inside the Nature Center as Ranger B shares some amazing facts about these mysterious mammals. Location: Usery Mountain Park Nature Center, Mesa. $6.00 per car.

Phoenix Bat Caves: It can be hit or miss, but during the hot summer months you can often see one of Phoenix’s largest urban bat roosts in action right here in the middle of town.  This is an amazing sight to see!  At sunset thousands of Mexican free-tail bats emerge from the "Phoenix Bat Cave" near the Biltmore to forage on mosquitoes.  There are so many bats that it is nearly a steady stream lasting for a good twenty minutes. The Phoenix Bat Cave is really a 7 mile long underground tunnel which is part of a Maricopa County Flood Control ditch.  A good viewing spot is at the southwest corner of 24th Street and Biltmore Circle, just south of Lincoln.  If you go, park at at the commercial building located at 2400 W. Arizona Biltmore Circle. The building is on the northeast corner of 24th Street and Arizona Biltmore Circle, just south of Lincoln Dr. The viewing area is on the southwest corner of that intersection, south of the Squaw Peak Police Precinct. 

More Bat Resources :

 
Lead photo courtesy of nature photographer Peggy Coleman. 
You can now order prints of her gorgeous work online at
Peggy Coleman Photography!

2 comments:

Do you have an event, bird walk, meeting, or nature walk that belongs on this calendar? Please send info to birdbloglady@gmail.com


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