Category Archives: Bats

Outboard birding, Banks Lake 2025-12-04

Sheila Willis and Teresa Aldrich Ammons saw many birds on Banks Lake.

Sheila is the President of the Okefenokee Bird Club and Teresa is a member. Sheila has been very helpful with information about the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge where she used to work.

[Outboard birding, Banks Lake 2025-12-04, Bat tree, feathers, Sand Hill Cranes, White Ibis, hydrilla, Lily pads]
Outboard birding, Banks Lake 2025-12-04, Bat tree, feathers, Sand Hill Cranes, White Ibis, hydrilla, Lily pads

Plus some feathers at the bat tree, falling from a nest that nobody had noticed before. They might be from a Great Blue Heron.

Continuing southwest towards Moody Air Force Base, we saw a flock of Great Blue Herons. And a flock of White Ibis sitting on the water, then flying, then one perching.

There were more birds, but I was busy going too far into the lily pads and hydrilla with the 25-hp outboard. Although stalks of those plants wrapped around the prop, they weren’t the worst. That was Continue reading →

Full Cold Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-12-04

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our mini-Okefenokee. Maybe we will see bats.

Full Moon paddle regulars, Holly Jones and Xiaoai Ren, will be leading this paddle.

When: Gather 4:15 PM, launch 4:45 PM, moonrise 5:07 PM, sunset 5:31 PM, end 6:15 PM, Thursday, December 4, 2025

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

[Full Cold Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, GA, Sunset, Moonrise, Maybe bats 2025-12-04]
Full Cold Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, GA, Sunset, Moonrise, Maybe bats 2025-12-04

Continue reading →

Pictures: Full Beaver Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-11-05

Update 2026-02-03: Videos,
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1586908412518046/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUTbxcWCFiD/
https://youtu.be/T6U66xA_lBk

We saw many species of bats on our leisurely Sunset and Full Beaver Moon Paddle on our mini-Okefenokee just west of Lakeland, Georgia, after the sun set and the moon rose.

Thanks to Chris Adams, aka Turtleman, for leading this paddle. He is a very experienced naturalist and former guide at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. He has often paddled with us at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Thanks to Bat Biologist (and WWALS Board Member) Elizabeth Brunner for identifying many species of bats living in the one bat tree, and probably a couple more flying by.

[Full Beaver Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, 2025-11-05, Guide: Chris Turtleman Adams, Bat Biologist: Elizabeth Brunner]
Full Beaver Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, 2025-11-05, Guide: Chris Turtleman Adams, Bat Biologist: Elizabeth Brunner

Thanks to Lanier County and Banks Lake Outdoors for free boat rental for these WWALS Full Moon Paddles.

For bat species reference, see: Continue reading →

Video: Bats of Georgia, Samuel Holst, GA-DNR, a WWALS Webinar 2025-08-21

A Wildlife Biologist with GA-DNR, Samuel Holst, talked about the bats of Georgia, including in Banks Lake and the Okefenokee Swamp. Plus some of our rare small mammals that are found around the Okefenokee.

WWALS Board Member Janet Martin gave a brief introduction, with questions and answers at the end. Including where to put your bat house. He sent some papers about that, and how to make a bat house, how to attract bats, how to identify bats, their importance in agriculture, and how to keep them out of your house:
https://wwals.net/pictures/bat-papers

[Video: Bats of Georgia, Samuel Holst, GA-DNR, a WWALS Webinar, August 21, 2025]
Video: Bats of Georgia, Samuel Holst, GA-DNR, a WWALS Webinar, August 21, 2025

Here is the link to the website about the Acoustic Survey Volunteer Project:
https://georgiawildlife.com/AnabatProject

Here is the video of Samuel Holst talking about bats of Georgia and other small mammals:
https://youtu.be/k8LQa0fVhHk Continue reading →

Pictures: Black Moon morning paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23

Update 2026-01-07: Pictures: First Day Paddle at Banks Lake 2026-01-01.

It was a small but jolly group on the morning Black Moon paddle around the perimeter of Banks Lake, approximately 4 miles. Thanks to Shirley Kokidko for leading this one.

We saw a little gator as we were starting, and I saw a bigger one later.

We found again the same cleft bat tree we found September 4, 2023.

Plenty of water lilies and red maple turning red.

Two white birds, one probably a Great Egret.

Seasonal Black Moons happen about once every 33 months. It was the third of four new moons in a season.

[Black Moon morning paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23, Gator, bats, red maple, lilies, and Great Egret flying]
Black Moon morning paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23, Gator, bats, red maple, lilies, and Great Egret flying

See also pictures by: Continue reading →

Full Harvest Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, 2025-09-07

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our watery living room. If we’re lucky, there will be bats.

When: Gather 6:45 PM, launch 7:15 PM, moonrise 7:53 PM, sunset 7:48 PM, end 8:45 PM, Sunday, September 7, 2025

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

[Full Harvest Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, Near Lakeland, GA, Sunday, September 7, 2025]
Full Harvest Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, Near Lakeland, GA, Sunday, September 7, 2025

Continue reading →

Bats of Georgia, Samuel Holst, GA-DNR, a WWALS Webinar 2025-08-21

Update 2025-10-14: Documents and Video: Bats of Georgia, Samuel Holst, GA-DNR, a WWALS Webinar 2025-08-21.

A Wildlife Biologist with GA-DNR, Samuel Holst, will talk about the bats of Georgia, including in Banks Lake and the Okefenokee Swamp. Plus some of our rare small mammals that are found around the Okefenokee.

When: 12 PM, Thursday, August 21, 2025

Put In: Register to join with Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/L4lMEWAMRyCE66LTG7CyQg
WWALS Board Member Janet Martin will give a brief introduction.
Questions and answers will be at the end.

[Bats of Georgia, Samuel Holst, GA-DNR, a WWALS Webinar, Thursday, August 21, 2025]
Bats of Georgia, Samuel Holst, GA-DNR, a WWALS Webinar, Thursday, August 21, 2025

Continue reading →

Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, 2025-02-12

Update 2025-02-13: Pictures: Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-02-12.

Join us or a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on our watery living room, Banks Lake, just west of Lakeland, Georgia, on GA 122.

When: Gather 5:30 PM, launch 5:55 PM, moonrise 6:35 PM, sunset 6:18 PM, end 7:30 PM, Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

[Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-02-12, Sunset, Moonrise, Possibly bats]
Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-02-12, Sunset, Moonrise, Possibly bats

Continue reading →

WWALS Webinar: Bats of Georgia, including Banks Lake and Douglas –Emily Ferrall, GA-DNR 2024-08-15

Update 2024-08-17: Video: Bats of Georgia, including Banks Lake and Douglas –Emily Ferrall, GA-DNR, A WWALS Webinar 2024-08-15.

Emily Ferrall will give an overview of the bats of Georgia, including species likely to occur at Banks Lake, and she has footage of the Douglas warehouse bats to show. She will mention the acoustic volunteer program.

[WWALS Webinar: Bats of Georgia, Emily Ferrall, GA-DNR 2024-08-15, including Banks Lake and Douglas warehouse]
WWALS Webinar: Bats of Georgia, Emily Ferrall, GA-DNR 2024-08-15, including Banks Lake and Douglas warehouse

She is a Wildlife Biologist, in the Wildlife Resources Division of the Wildlife Conservation Section of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR).

She specializes in research and monitoring for nongame mammals in Georgia and spends much of her time working with bats. Emily has been with GA DNR since 2016. Emily earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Georgia with an emphasis in wildlife science.

Register in advance with zoom for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtc-urrD8uE9eK5isu8MaaDuonsv0L3tXe

WWALS Board President Sara Jay Jones will give a brief introduction, Emily Ferrall will speak for about 45 minutes, and we will have questions and answers. Continue reading →