Photo by: Dr. J. Scott Altenbach, Maryland.gov
Tri-colored bats continue to use the porch of Blue Heron Lodge, and have done so since at least 2013. They generally arrive in mid-April and
leave around July, with occasional sightings in August. A small maternal colony of bats give birth under the rafters, and later disperse
into the woods with their babies, perhaps when the porch gets too hot in summer. Three babies were seen, but there could have been more
(the clusters of bats are so tight). This year, there were 12 bats at one time, dispersed into several small groups.
This is great news, since bats have been so decimated by white-nose syndrome (a fungal disease) that has almost wiped them out. The tri-colored
bat is listed as Endangered in Canada, and is proposed for Endangered species status by the US Fish and Wildlife Service: the decision is expected
to be finalized this fall. The bats in Coffin Woods look healthy, with no sign of the disease.