Bats in the Barn

Wildlife Cameras Reveal New Information

Published September 3, 2026

The iconic red barn in Midpen’s La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve has served many uses in its more than 120-year history. Today, it continues supporting coastal agriculture as part of Midpen’s conservation grazing program, is a visual gateway to the rural San Mateo County coast for travelers along Highway 84, and is a roosting site for five different species of local bats.

Midpen wanted to better understand how bats were using the red barn and partnered with wildlife photographer Vishal Subramanyan to get a closer look. Subramanyan designed and set up a one-of-a-kind, motion-activated camera in an upper window that Midpen biologists annually observe bats flying in an out of. It took quite a bit of trial and error to even begin capturing properly
focused images of fast-flying bats entering and exiting the barn.

“I wanted to capture high quality photos of these bats for the first time and tell the story about how sometimes these animals rely on places that are unexpected,” Subramanyan said.

What the photos revealed was part art, part science. The photos were so clearly detailed that bands placed by biologists
on some of the pallid bats' legs nearly a decade ago were visible. The red barn is the only known pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) maternity roost on the Peninsula, meaning pregnant females gather here to give birth and tend their young from April through August. This nocturnal species of special concern is named for its light-colored fur and was recently recognized as California’s official state bat in part because they provide more than $1 billion worth of pest control to California agriculture annually.

Subramanyan’s photos captured all five species that utilize in the barn: pallid, Townsend’s big-eared, Mexican free-tailed, California myotis and big brown bats.

“The photos provide information that help Midpen continue protecting the red barn as a roosting, maternity and potential hibernation site for bats, especially while conducting barn restoration projects or determining how and when people access the barn,” said Midpen biologist Matt Sharp Chaney.

Within Midpen preserves on the San Mateo County coast, conservation and agriculture are closely intertwined. This aligns with Midpen’s unique coastal mission which includes preserving rural character, encouraging viable agriculture, restoring the natural
environment and providing for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment.

Learn more at openspace.org/bats.