The Bats are Back

Every spring and summer, I observe bats feeding at dusk over my back yard in Newton Center. I observed three bats feeding last night (4/22/07). I am not sure what species, but, according to the Massachusetts Audubon Society bat page, the most common bats in Massachusetts are the Little Brown Myotis and the Big Brown Bat. Apparently, the Big Brown Bat is more common in urban areas. According to the Wild Mammals of New England, Big Brown Bats do not live in large colonies, and generally use the same feeding grounds each night. Big Brown Bats are active in early spring, whereas Little Brown Myotis tend to become active a bit later. Both species mate in the fall and give birth in June. It would be very interesting to know whether both species occur in Newton? For a list of the bats of Massachusetts, click here.