Bats
Jacqueline29
Posts: 385
Hi I was so excited as I have seen a bat flying around in my garden, as it is getting darker evenings now. It was swooping backwards and forwards catching insects in mid air.
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Jacqueline29
Posts: 385
Jacqueline29
Posts: 385
Posts
We love to watch them - they're fantastic aren't they? In the summer evenings I sometimes lie on the lawn or lounger and watch them swoop down above me - OH says that they sometimes get very close to me - at this time of year we keep the window blinds open until dark as it attracts the moths towards the windows and we can see the bats hunting them.
They seem to have learnt that if they swoop around the security light sensor in the garden opposite the light will come on for a few minutes, attracting the moths for them.
OUR BATS HAVE LEARNED THE SAME TRICK. QUITE ANNOYING AS I KEEP GETTING UP TO ANSWER THE DOOR THINKING THAT SOMEONE IS COMING UP THE PATH.
SORT OF LIKE THE BLUETITS THAT LEARNED TO OPEN FOIL MILK BOTTLE TOPS IN THE 60s.
Just watched noctules and long-eareds while coaching athletics tonight. Flying over the track hunting insects attracted to the floodlights. Pointed them out to the others but they didn't really engage. Just asked how I knew they were bats!
Cycling a year or so back and one flew into my face. How he missed me, I don't know I'm 6ft and in a fluorescent jacket. Perhaps his echo location was down! I picked him up and after a breather he took off again. I wonder what he told his other half when he got in late? Couldn't admit to flying into a cyclist, could he?!
H-C
I expect he told her one of his mates was a bit the worse for the fruit flies and he had to give him a lift home.
Just as an aside though - and not directed at you HC, just while we're talking batty things - you shouldn't handle bats if you can possibly help it (although leaving a stunned one in the middle of a cycle path to get run over wouldn't be a good option and tricky if they hit you in the face) because they are one of the most highly protected species and you have to have every sort of license to touch them. And there is rabies in the UK bat population
We get pipistrelles here - loads of them roosting in the farmhouse roof next door. They take over the aerobatics when the swallows go to bed in summer
. Love watching them
Try getting an old redundant wireless aerial or something long and thin with a blob on the top not much bigger than say 10mm diameter. Unravel a wire clothes hanger as straight as you can and place a small blob on one end.
Hold it up in the air!
Have Fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not for the feint hearted but great fun for the onlookers!
A BLOB OF ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR?
Anything, blu-tack, chewing gum.
What does this blob achieve?
We have bats in the garden, and our local parks too. Makes my evening dog strolls most enjoyable.
Try it and find out!
This year, Wild About Gardens Week (24th-30th October) focuses upon what we can do to support bats (and other wildlife) in our gardens and community spaces.
Wild About Gardens Week is a joint initiative by the Royal Horticultural Society and The Wildlife Trusts and this year, the Bat Conservation Trust, aiming to encourage people to support local biodiversity in their gardens.
This is the fourth Wild About Gardens Week - last year the Week was focused on hedgehogs.
For more information, visit www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk and www.wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk
The following websites also have information about Wild About Gardens Week and gardening for bats.
www.wildlifetrusts.org The Wildlife Trusts
www.bats.org.uk The Bat Conservation Trust
www.rhs.org.uk The Royal Horticultural Society