Big Brown Bat

Several years ago while grilling, I heard noises coming from behind a 30" x 20" decorative wooden “flag” that we have hanging above our garage door
and determined that the grill smoke was irritating a single bat. For the next several years, presumably the same bat returned after winter. In the
past few years, it was joined by one and sometimes two additional bats. A few weeks ago we noticed a lot more guano. We watched to see how many
would fly out and saw several smaller wings poking out, stretching and test-flapping. Babies! Unfortunately, one baby left too early and injured itself.
We took it to the SPCA Wildlife department, but it had a break in a wing joint and had to be euthanized. A couple of days later we watched several young bats
take their first flight. They were so tiny and very slow flyers. If you didn’t know, bats have to drop from a height in order to fly. They are unable to fly
from the ground. Strangely, the next day there was only one bat under the flag. Today we noticed a lot more guano and decided to watch. This is one of
at least 31 bats that were roosting behind the flag.

I hung a bat house nearby a few years ago, but they prefer the flag! Only one left the bat house tonight.

Boy, they are difficult to track!