More than 30 countries across the globe will celebrate International Bat Nights the weekend of August 28-30.
Bats traditionally have a bad reputation because of their association with Dracula; indeed, there are several species of vampire bats. What’s more, bats can carry several viruses that affect humans, including Ebola, rabies, and the severe acute respiratory syndrome that causes coronavirus.
But these cute bats provide more positive services than negative. Besides their duty as pollinators, bats consume insects that destroy crops intended for humans. And bats devour the mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus, zika, malaria, and other deadly pathogens. More recently, biologists are studying the immune system of bats to find potential ways to mimic that system in humans. Bats may be the key to the cure of Covid-19.
Residents and visitors at Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico; Yolo Causeway, California; the Millie Mine, near Iron Mountain, Michigan; Nickajack Cave, near Chattanooga; and the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin; celebrate bats as they emerge from their roosts almost every summer evening.
A group of San Antonio poets assemble periodically for what they call, “Writers take a Walk.” These writers met one August evening under the IH-35 Bridge on the San Antonio River Walk to watch the bats come out. Here is their report:
Bats – by Chris Billings
one
another
a couple more
followed by a scattering
then thousands of ’em stream out from under
the I35 bridge over the San Antonio River
Mexican Free-Tail Bats taking flight on their
daily nighttime foraging for insects
of which they will eat a couple hundred tons worth
in just this one night
that’s good for the farmers
but bad for the bugs
and that’s okay because that’s just the way it is
so the big black cloud of little brown bats
streams out and into the wind
safety in number until they reach their destinations
for some up to 60 miles away
where they will break down into roosting groups
then eventually into individuals to hunt
for their dinner of moths or whatever other flying insects
cross their path to be seen by the bats
because bats are NOT blind
and they will NOT nest in your hair
and they will NOT suck your blood (at least, not THESE bats)
they are simply looking for a meal
while, inadvertently, helping the ecosystem
and that’s no guano
but soon their annual visit will come to an end
they will fly back to Mexico
and the Texas bugs will rejoice
but for this night the bats will feed until the wee hours
when they will begin their journey back to the bridge
where they will all swoop up and in
and just before dawn
the whole colony will
have returned
every
last
one
***
Blossoms Along the River – by Don Mathis
Many plants bloom along the river,
even in the heat of day.
Pride of Barbados glows
like candles on a cake.
Silhouettes of Palm trees
against the sky
appear as explosions
on the fourth of July
Time – and the current –
creeps by so slow,
almost at the speed
the ferns and grasses grow.
Mallards in the water
cause ripples in the stream.
The wake they make
is like a blossom in a dream.
But the wildest design,
the strangest bloom,
is when the bats emerge
just before the moon.
The flickering shapes
stream against the sky –
a mammalian flower,
Free-tails on the fly!
***
Batnado – by Susan Salzman
First, it’s as still as the grave,
Then, they come out in a wave.
Frantic, fluttering flight over town,
Searching for flesh by sight and sound.
Warm bodies fly up like a plume of smoke.
Are these the creatures of which Bram Stoker wrote?
Nay, insects are their prey.
Our necks are safe – this day.
***
Previously published in the Rivard Report.
Top Photo: Shutterstock