Bats

[timmyalex]

We have been in our place for nearly 3 years now and one of the best bits of the garden was bats feeding at dusk above our heads. There were generally 3-4 each night but this year not a sign. I am presuming they did not survive the winter which wasn't too bad down here. How are everybody elses bats doing this year.?

[Flummery]

Bats use different places for rearing their young so if you had a nursery roost (adults flying round collecting insects for youngsters) they might just have decided to use somewhere else this year. The ones they use to over-winter (hibernacula) aren't usually the places they are foraging from in summer. I'm sure your bats survived but have chosen a different place this time around.

Our next door neighbour host a nursery roost each summer (we don't think they know and daren't tell them in case they freak out - people can be funny about bats!) and there's one in our village church. They are long-eared - a bit less common than next door's pipistrelles - and a headache for the brass polishing and floor cleaning ladies in the church I gather!

[BilboWaggins]

Don't know what sort we have but there have been up to 8 or 10 swooping around at dusk.

I agree with Timmyalex they are one of the best bits of going out into the garden late at night and I absolutely love seeing them. Looking forward to whenever we get ponds installed in the future because they love to swoop over the water catching supper.

[Polly Fouracre]

When I was young I could hear them squeaking, alas now my ears have got old.

[tulip]

They're in fine fettle round these parts - bat supper heaven I should think, with all the bloomin' midges around. Don't see them up close, apart from one high velocity, hi+bye visit into the sitting room one night. They're mesmerising wee critters to watch, aren't they.

[Mac]

Thankfully the bats at our new house seem to be quite happy at roosting and flying around outside! At our last house, they chose to have their nursery roost in our loft, and then managed to fly down our chimney and round the house!! I love bats, but when you're lying in your bed reading and two come straight at you out of a dark hall it is a tad disconcerting! We had the local bat conservation folk out and got to listen to them (the bats that it) speaking to each other as they came out the roof! Fascinating!

[timmyalex]

Interesting. Big shame though that mine have chosen to go somewhere else this year. Maybe next.??