Batty for Bats!

We recently signed up for a class with the Game and Fish Department of AZ to do together as a mother daughter night out.  It was specifically to learn more about bats but there was plenty of other animals to observe .  The event took place far NE of Scottsdale out on the edge of the national forest and I was a little worried how it would go between travelling the hour out and the extremely late night.  While Bug was too tired to focus on the info given about bats and conservation, she was quivering with excitement when it came time to see the creatures.

Even before things really got started she was taking pictures of bugs she'd never seen before.  This one was behaving strangely near us as was about as long as quarter.

We listened to a small lecture on the importance of bats as pollinators  and maintain a balance in the ecosystem with regards to bugs.  This was a picture of the real size of the largest bat known.  

Everything got extremely exciting when the first bat was brought it.  It was a pregnant female and it was amazing to see how thin the wings are.  They are capable of 'true flight' and no other mammals are.

The second one we saw in the net.  I swear we all held our breaths as they tried to extricate yet another female of the same species.  It's such a delicate process.

Along the way a screech owl was heard and so they brought out a screech owl call and we were able to spot the male and it's mate as they came in to investigate who the intruder was.

There were tons of bugs.  The wolf spider with all it's young on it's back was amazing for Bug to see.  It blends in with the gravel but if you look closely it's in the upper right corner of the picture.

We randomly flashed a blacklight only to find a scorpion within two feet of us.  The cicada was also another neat find.

It really was a memorable night for both of us.  I learned a ton and while facts may not stick with my girl, she really felt a great appreciation for all of God's creations.