Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Insect Eaters

One more little thing I wanted to share about an experience I had with watching bats. About a year ago, my roommate, her three kids and I went to Zion National Park. We hiked up to Emerald Pools. We left on the hike a little late in the day, and by the time we got to the upper pool, it was getting dusky. As we sat there enjoying the view, we realized something was flying all around the just above the surface of the pool, then we realized a lot of somethings were there, and not just at the surface of the pool, but overhead, between and around the high cliff walls. They were bats. Hundreds of them. Just flying here and there, skimming the top of the water, snatching up insects. It was amazing to watch. I could have stayed there all night (of course that would have been pointless, as I had no way to watch them once it got totally dark).

After watching them for a while we turned, rather reluctantly on my part, to head back down to the car. I have had a few experiences like that, where I've had the chance to watch the acrobatics of bats in flight. It never gets old to me.

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