Fuddland

I’m not sure if it’s because of the new night lights in the back garden, or because it’s the time of year, or because they’ve just moved into the area, or because I’ve just never noticed them before, but for the last week or two, around the same time every night, I’ve been treated to the sight of some bats looping around the garden.

There’s a definite pattern: around nine-thirty or ten o’clock, when it’s just dark enough for the sensors on the night lights to turn them on, and for about fifteen minutes, two or three bats do a circuit which encompasses my garden and those of the adjacent houses, catching the moths and other bugs which are flitting around, before heading off elsewhere.

Last night I decided I’d see if I could manage to get a snapshot of one, but I knew I was up against it because,

• they move pretty quickly

• they’re quite small

• it’s dark

Not ideal photography conditions! In fact, the very first shot out of the eight that I took is the only one in which a bat appears, and even then it’s not the best capture, although it’s definitely a bat [I promise I haven’t just superimposed a low-quality bat photo onto a picture of a hedge].

As well as figuring out a better way to take a photo of them [I think my camera battery could do with a charge so that the flash is at its fastest and brightest], I’m hoping to somehow identify what type of bat it is. I’d estimate their wingspan to be about seven or eight inches. Any experts out there?

The following is an entry which follows on from the above:

1. Better bat [Fuddland]. Excerpt: Patience is a virtue......

#1

Kav | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 14:05

Class. The picture may not be great but considering the difficulties, it is pretty good. I’m no expert but I would suggest that they are the common ‘7-8 inch wingspan’ bat.
I’m not helping, am I?

#2

David | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 14:08

Re #1: You have sort-of helped. You’ve helpfully ruled yourself out of me asking you anything about anything ever again. ;)

#3

Ade | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 14:15

I have three things to say:
1) My user information doesn’t appear to be stored.
2) Bloglines is telling me there are no new posts here today.
3) I know nothing about bats.

#4

Ade | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 14:17

Ahh, maybe my info will be stored now…

[Edited by commenter — 13:20]

#5

Ade | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 14:19

Yes, there it is. Sorry, I’m making a right mess of this post for you aren’t I?

[Edited by commenter — 13:21]

#6

David | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 15:00

Re #3–#5: Having a good day are we? ;)

FYI, Depending on the posting time and how often Bloglines polls the feed [seems to be once an hour for mine, blatantly ignoring my TTL declaration], it might take it some time to inform you of a new posting.

Now, has anyone got any bat-related comments??

#7

Kav | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 15:50

I like bats.

Still not helping…

#8

Kav | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 15:54

This might help.

however, far too much information for me to go trawling through. Some of us are supposed to be working…

#9

Dina | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 17:25

I attended a seminar on bats in 2003. Fascinating little creatures. We have tonnes here, but just your garden variety fruit bats. I adore them, because they’re cute and they eat bugs. The world would be a far better place if there were more bats and less spiders.

That said, I don’t know much about UK species, but there’s a web page @ FirstNature that seems handy.

I think my favourite is a common pipistrelle. Aww, look at that face!

#10

bsag | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 18:27

Great picture!

OK, here comes a bat-related comment. Though it’s pretty difficult to tell from your photograph, I’d hazard a guess that they are pipistrelles (one of the two species). They are about the right wingspan (I had to get a ruler out to check - what are these ‘inches’ of which you speak?), they are the commonest species, their behaviour fits that of pipistrelles, and they are often found in urban/suburban areas. The other possibilities are either too big, too rare or really only found around bodies of water (Daubenton’s bat).

If you still have good high frequency hearing, or if you can borrow a small child, you might just be able to hear the social calls (not their echolocation calls), because they are on the threshold of human hearing at 16-23 kHz. I used to be able to hear them, but was distressed to realise a few years ago that I can’t any more.

I think that their ‘sudden’ appearance is probably a combination of two factors: 1) they are just more visible with your lights, so you’ve just started to notice them, 2) they are feeding on all the moths, gnats and other insects that are attracted by the lights, and therefore visiting your garden in greater numbers.

Anyway, whatever they are, enjoy them! Wish we had bats…

#11

David | 2005 / 06 / 07 – 22:36

Re #9 & #10: Thanks for the links and info. Before our resident bat expert bsag dropped by [after all, she has one in her site’s header :)], I was thinking they were likely to be noctules, but having looked at the wingspan sizes [what, can’t you multiply by 2.54 in your head?? ;)] I agree they’re probably one of the pipistrelles. Any ideas how I can get one to land on a ruler? ;)

I don’t think my hearing is too damaged yet, but I’ve not heard any calls — perhaps I’ve not listened long or hard enough. I’ll try that the next time I’m out with my camera.

#12

bsag | 2005 / 06 / 08 – 08:09

Re #11: I’m no bat expert (I just like the little critters), but I have wielded a bat detector in my time. Their calls sound a little bit like clinking keys . Clinking keys also produce ultrasound, as I found out to my cost when I first used a bat detector - I thought I’d picked up some new species of bat, but I was listening to the pocket of the guy in front of me. It’s an odd experience hearing pipistrelles because they are very loud but right on the threshold of our hearing, so they almost sound as if they are right next to your ear. You feel the sound more than hearing it, if that makes any sense.

As for getting one to land on a ruler, you might have more luck in getting one to fly past a ruler. Put a big scale bar up somewhere, and take a photo as they fly past :-)

#13

David | 2005 / 06 / 08 – 08:16

Re #12: I trust you enquired, “Is that a bat in your pocket…?” ;)

#14

bsag | 2005 / 06 / 09 – 08:29

Re #13: :-D If only I had! It would have been a classic line.

Commenting on this post is closed. Thanks to all those who left comments. If you'd still like to say something about this entry, feel free to email me.