A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A Bat at My Feeder

This picture is from the National Wildlife Federation...photographer, David M. Schindler.

I was sitting on the porch the other evening watching the hummingbirds come and go...and without a camera. I heard a little soft flutter sound and a bird, or so I thought, came flying in. It turned out to be a bat. The bat flew right next to the feeder for the hummingbirds and left quickly without stopping. This leads me to believe that the feeders feed more than hummingbirds and various bees. I've seen pictures of bats drinking out of feeders and since my feeders are emptying more quickly than in the past, I'm inclined to believe that the bats are the culprits. First we had raccoons taking a sip and now bats. Our porch is usually a pretty quiet place in the evening and night. We sit out just until dusk and then go in, so it is vacant from dusk through the night. I've seen lots of bats out by the woods and while sitting on the back deck. I was reading about bats this morning on the internet...here's what I found....This year's drought is making the bats' food source, bugs, scarce. Bats typically find bugs in all sorts of vegetation, but the drought has limited the availability of healthy vegetation for bugs to eat. Insects are foraging on irrigated farmland, forcing the bats to follow.
Few bat watchers have noticed any change in the bats' behavior, other than that they're coming out earlier than usual, making for more spectacular scenes in the twilight. But experts say those early exits are putting the bats at greater risk of predation, hurting their survival chances and reproduction rates..
So, I guess the drought is affecting more creatures than we think about. We have found that deer are eating my ripe tomatoes and now bats are at the bird feeders. I guess we just have to share with God's creatures while this drought continues. We've had rain, but just drips and drops. We need a good steady rain for a few hours. I've looked around neighborhoods and I see shrubbery and trees being affected now...not just lawns. What will next year bring? I believe that there is global warming. What does it take to get people to realize that? 
Balisha

6 comments:

Margie's Musings said...

When a person is convinced there is no global warming, nothing you site or say will change their mind.

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

It makes sense that the critters will find food any where they can. To see a bat at your feeder...what a treat!

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

I had some bats last year.
Have not spotted any so far
this year.
Have a good day.
Delightful and cooler here
by the woods even though
ground is very damp...

Barbee' said...

You do get such interesting visitors of all kinds.

BrittArnhild said...

The blessed wildlife :-)

Balisha said...

I think we all have interesting visitors to our yards...maybe I just sit around more than most LOL
Balisha