Our first paddle of 2026 was during the day on beautiful Banks Lake, just west of Lakeland, GA, on New Years Day.

A hardy band of five paddlers, some very experienced, some very novice, paddled into the eastern sun glare, then west to the bat tree. We saw Sand Hill Cranes and an osprey nest, but no bats.

First Day Paddle, Banks Lake 2026-01-01, Sand Hill Cranes, See-through bat tree

Here are some video clips:

https://www.facebook.com/Wwalswatershed/videos/867635092790046/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTNpYodiJhP/

https://youtu.be/glaea7oHi9g

This was Shirley Kokidko’s experiment in a day paddle on Banks Lake. This is the third time we’ve done this, after 2023-09-04, when I found this bat tree, and 2025-08-23.

Plus the outboard birding 2025-12-04, in which the birders noticed feathers falling from a nest in the bat tree.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

Before

Gretchen and Shirley getting ready, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Context: Gretchen and Shirley getting ready, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Shirley demonstrating exercises, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Lunge onto the lake, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Gretchen likes her new kayak, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

BB

Banners at Banks Lake, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Movie: Banners at Banks Lake with Sand Hill Cranes (48M), 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Sand Hill Cranes, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

BaS

Brooke and Silas son, est. in a WWALS canoe, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

BfP

Boats and fishing pier, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Boats and buildings behind, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Lilypads on Banks Lake, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

SC

Sparkly cypress, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Sun and sparkly cypress, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

ON

Osprey nest, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Movie: Osprey nest (18M), 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

JS

jsq and Shirley, 2026-01-01 –Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS

TtBT

To the bat tree, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Movie: Approaching the bat tree (28M), 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Movie: Bat tree with bird nest above bat crack (27M), 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Bat tree with boaters beyond, 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

StBT

Movie: See through the bat tree (8.1M), 2026-01-01 –jsq for WWALS

Short Link: