November 3, 2025 – November 9, 2025

I was fortunate to attend a Bat Blitz held in Savannah, GA with the joint Bat Working Groups of Georgia and South Carolina this past week. Headquarters and lodging were located at Wormsloe State Historical Site, whose recorded history goes back to the 1700s. This post is photo heavy and I hope you enjoy it! I had one new intake and will likely receive more as the weather gets colder and animals needing help start showing up in yards or by the side of the road. But first, a video that captures why working with bats is such a fascinating endeavor.

Wormsloe State Historic site contains the oldest standing structure in Savannah, the ruins of a tabby house built in the mid 1700’s by Noble Jones.  Later a palatial 3 story mansion was built and a mile long drive lined with 150 Live oaks was planted, creating an iconic scene captured by many photographers.  For more information on the site visit the state park website.. It has a fascinating history.

The University of Georgia owns this section of Wormsloe and built the small center and cottages. Students from multiple disciplines, from herpetology to history come to study there.
Each cabin had three bedrooms with 3 bunkbeds, one bathroom, a small kitchen, and a gathering area.
In the CREW building there was one more shower, which was apparently quite popular.
The woodlands at Wormsloe were wild and rich with vegetation. Sadly the old growth pines died from a Pine beetle infestation.
In some places the Skidaway River came right up to the dock, but in other places there were a variety of marsh habitats.
The mansion itself was hidden by trees for the owner's privacy- this is the DeRenne library on the property. Yes, a whole library.
The dock had a gorgeous view of the Skidaway River and the tidal marshes. The Moon River formed the southern boundary of the property.

I took as many photos detailing the installation and set up of the nets as I thought would give you an idea of the process.  Ideally it’s an at least 4 person job and can’t be hurried or abbreviated.  The nets are strung tight enough that they don’t drag in the brush or on the ground, but loosely enough so that retrieving netted animals is easier.  

Here is a short video from the Mississippi Working Bat Group that provides a concise description of the science behind mist netting.

The full moon was so bright it lit up the forest.

After extensive and thoughtful research, 30 sites were chosen from the greater Savannah area.  These were the ones most likely to have resident bats.  They included the Wormsloe property, state parks, nearby islands, the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, and on private property.

The organizers did an enormous amount of field work picking these sites. They were planning this for over a year.
This is the part of the Georgia and South Carolina coasts that we netted in.
The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is large for this area and is home to species ranging from deer to a wide variety of birds and waterfowl, despite being mid-sectioned by a highway.

The groups I went out with netted 3 bats in 3 nights, but others netted up to 22!  The total netted over 3 nights at 30 sites was around 180.  The bats were of diverse species including Seminole, Red, Yellow, Big brown, and Brazilian freetail, also known as Mexican freetail.  The bats are unharmed and handled by experienced bat biologists wearing personal protective equipment and following standardized protocol.  Data collected is only useful if done properly and following the same guidelines and parameters.  Otherwise as compelling as it may be, it can’t be used.

This Flying squirrel is perfectly fine, although displeased with his predicament.
There was a lot of herping to be done between net checks.
The first night we found a Cuban Tree frog. Unfortunately, or fortunately for him, they are an invasive species and we could not release him. One of the group members took him home with her.

Besides bats, we saw a wide range of other coastal dwelling species.  Several birds were caught including the ill-tempered Cardinal, and a Hermit thrush, and released, as well as flying squirrels.

This large and beautiful Wolf spider had the brightest green eyes. I moved her out of the way of our walking path.
The first night several raccoons showed up. including this curious young adult.

Luckily for her, this adult female opossum was brought to me right before the temperatures are set to plunge into the mid 20s.  Jennifer had seen her out in the daytime for many days.  She had a routine and stuck to it.  Thinking she was blind and perhaps injured, she took the time to get in touch with me and bring her to me.

Thank you, Jennifer! Ms. Opossum is actually pretty big for such a small carrier.
She has a soft bed and yummy foods while she stays here. I put her on an anti-inflammatory (when you are old, things hurt) and started deworming her. I also immediately offered diluted pedialyte and treated her for fleas.

After stabilizing her and assessing her mobility and eyesight, I will make the next determination in her care.  For right now, she’s getting medical treatment, nutritious meals, and is safe and warm.

The pigeon is doing great and will return to it’s home location next week.  Following the guidance of an experienced pigeon rehabber, I employed not only oral anti-inflammatories, but essential oils and homeopathic oral and topical remedies.  The healing was rapid and their leg looks great.  They started bearing weight on it before I left!  

A cold snap is headed our way early this week so I am busy setting up radiant heat panels and adding pine straw to the outside enclosures.  The one adult opossum, Sarah, will be brought inside temporarily.  I don’t think she will mind.

Thanks for reading along and I hope you enjoyed seeing my exciting adventure!

November 3, 2025 – November 9, 2025

November 10, 2025 No Comments

I was fortunate to attend a Bat Blitz held in Savannah, GA with the joint Bat Working Groups of Georgia and South Carolina this past week. Headquarters and lodging were located at Wormsloe State Historical Site, whose recorded history goes back to the 1700s. This post is photo heavy and I hope you enjoy it!

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