Bats in the Kiva

Out at camp, one of the scouts told me that there was a bat in the kiva.  From that moment I was on a mission to get my good camera and hustle over there to see what I could see.  Sure enough, there was a bat there, and three or four of his good friends.

Having never before photographed a bat, I was thrilled.  For me, this was big game! Here's a picture of one of the little guys.

The kiva is an outdoor shelter, with a few picnic tables under it.  It has no walls, and is open to the air, but the roof provides shade, and apparently - habitat for bats and wasps.

Based on their size and coloring, and the length of their ears, I think that these were Little Brown Bats, which are very common in this area.

Bats often huddle together to stay warm, but on this particular afternoon, that wasn't necessary as it was pretty hot out.  Still, the females do form nursing colonies with their young at this time of the year.  The males hang out separately.  My guess is that this one and his buddies were males.

Here's a close up.

Now, I probably would scream if a bat fluttered too close to my head, but honestly, isn't this little guy cute?  He's even smiling for the camera!