Bats!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Does anyone know anything about bats? I've just had a super experience whilst taking Dexter the dog out for walkies tonight!
Whilst waiting (as I do!) I had two bats swooping around the sky and my head (a little bit!) catching their tea!
It was something I've never experienced before - I know nothing about them and would love to learn! (Don't even know what kind they were!) DDL

[smallblueplanet]

Bats are great - we've got some that regularly swoop around our garden...

Try Bats

[martini]

We've got bats as well - get the garlic out

[JennieAtkinson]

How lovely! I don't think we have bats this far north, but always love to see them when on holiday in France or Spain. Love the way they swoooop around!

I always remember a programme with David Attenburgh and bats and he had just said that bats were so clever, swooping around but their sonic powers meant they didn't hit anything ... when one hit the camera!

[dexterdoglancashire]

hi Jennie! yes, they did get very close to my head on a couple of occasions - I know I would've screamed very loudly if they had made contact! DDL

[nick the grief]

If they were all in white they'd be Cricket bats

[dexterdoglancashire]

oh dear Nick! it was a serious question! LOVE your joke though! DDL

[nick the grief]

Without catching one it's a bit hard to ID them DDL (if you have the bat Transducer thing it can help as some have a higher pitched "radar" than others) Pippistrelles are the smallest I think (about 2" long) but they are the commonest soit may have been on of those.

Have a look here for further info

http://www.bats.org.uk/

[Mrs Dobby]

We too have bats, they live in a cave near the ship canal and regularly fly acrobatics around our back yard, great fun to watch them playing!

[multiveg]

I'm doing (should be doing) a creative writing course and had written a story where a bloke builds a machine to hear sounds at higher frequencies than bats (sort of like one of Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected where the bloke hears the plants scream when pruned/roses cut..). In my research, I came across some home-made bat detectors - have you a Tandy/Maplins near you? If so, there is a relatively easy (not done it myself) adaptation of a Tandy radio that will allow you to hear bats.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Thanks for the website Nick - will have a look! Yes, thanks we have a Maplins (I think!) but just thought perhaps CPC do something similar - again will have a look!
Many thanks everyone! DDL

[smallblueplanet]

Its the same web-link as I first posted, I've often wondered whether people do realise the 'Bats'-style text is actually a website link? The links often seem to get ignored or is it just my posts???

[Snadger]

When I take my dog for a walk I sometimes get 'buzzed' by bats.

As an experiment I gave a high pitched whistle through my teeth and they did seem to react to it, coming very close to my head at times!

I was out there about half an hour as I was so facinated! The dog kept looking at me as if saying "Can we get on with the walk now? childrens playtime is over isn't it?" Lol

[dexterdoglancashire]

HI MBP - sorry, no I didn't realise! silly me! - DDL

[multiveg]

Just found the home bat-detector diy kit link: http://www.btinternet.com/~mr.pentops/bat.htm

http://bertrik.sikken.nl/bat/index.html was also a useful resource.