Melissa Craddock displays one of the dozens of bats caught, examined, and tagged that night.

It's been a tough year for bats, which have been decimated by white-nose syndrome at many of their hibernaculum.  Fortunately, other populations of bats are still hanging on in New Jersey, though risks remain high.  WildNewJersey's David Wheeler recently joined New Jersey Fish and Wildlife and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey on a bat count and banding at a barn in Milford where over 1,000 little brown bats roost. No bats were found to be fully suffering from white-nose syndrome, which is good news.


Click here for photos from this fascinating evening with these winged creatures of the night.


                                       
                              Waiting in anticipation for the bats to arrive once dusk settles at the farm.

                           
                      Only a camera flash made the bats visible as their sounds filled the pitch-dark barn.

                           
                                Mick Valent of N.J. Fish and Wildlife carefully examines a bat.

                           

                           
                         Mick Valent and Melissa Craddock of N.J. Fish and Wildlife measure the bats.

                           
                The bats were tagged in an effort to better understand the spread of white-nose syndrome. 


                                                    All photos by David Wheeler



Here's WildNewJersey's previous coverage of the state's bats and white-nose syndrome.

For more information about New Jersey's bats, check out N.J. Fish and Wildlife's bat fact sheet.