I've lurked for 18 months, and now that I do have something to offer, it's
not even about birds.

Don, Nagorsen and Brigham is the best guide to bats in this area. But
you're on the right track already. On the west side of the mountains,
Townsend's is easy to id, based on its huge ears. They represent an
amazing balance between hearing and aerodynamics. And females are
unlikely to be solitary during the summer, so this is probably a male. He'll
disappear at any time now and arrive at the hibernacula within a couple
weeks or a month.

While single males are tolerant of some disturbance, maternity colonies
and hibernacula are not. Single visits, even by the proverbial
well-meaning researcher, can cause abandonment of a site. The coastal
subspecies (Plecotus t. townsendii) was on the US Fish and Wildlife
Catagory 2 list and is still a taxon of interest. Rarity and vulnerability
have generated some interest in Washington. I'm working with an
interagency group which has put bat-friendly (human-resistant) gates
on two known maternity sites and is preparing to gate the remaining two
known sites in Washington. These are also the known hibernacula.
Gating is a simple, inexpensive process which has protected the known
concentration areas for the bat. Now that the known sites are
protected, we're starting to look for new sites. Townsend's colonies
have been found in caves, mines, and military bunkers (along the Straits
of Juan de Fuca). Wood buildings are rarely used as maternity or
hibernacula sites because temperatures aren't stable enough.

If any of you folks come across bat colonies on the west side, in any of
these situations, let me know. If you're close enough to see huge bat
ears, it's a cool sight, but you're too close for their good. Besides your
mother told you not to go into caves and mines, anyway.

Not only is this not about birds, but it's lengthy. If you have any
questions about these bats, try Bats of BC. There's also a regional
group, Bats Northwest who you can reach at 4743 42nd Ave, SW,
Saettle, WA 98116. And Bat Conservation International is the best
national source http://www.batcon.org/.

John Fleckenstein
Washington Natural Heritage Program
Department of Natural Resources
John.Fleckenstein at wadnr.gov