Interesting bike ride today

My son and I have been going out for regular bike rides lately a few times a week. This afternoons run was interesting. Found a little bat on the foot bridge we cross on the way home.

The little fellow wqas in the gap between the edge of the bridge and the pathway. Nearly ran it over. Obviously it shouldnt be out in the daytime so we phoned the local vet and they said to bring it round and they would take care of him and contact an expert to come collect him. Tiny little thing but stayed quite happily in my hand until we got him to the vets.

You weren't going like a 'bat out of hell' then!

I understand the Chinese have some good recipes for them.

Edited By Oily Rag on 16/07/2020 21:24:10

your son is his name Robin by any chance ?

H

We were going slow onto the bridge and sorry no its not Robin. Connor and batman doesnt have the same ring.

You daft Bat.

Steve.

There is one bat that flies in the daytime, I think it's the Daubentons.

Edited By roy entwistle on 17/07/2020 11:25:43

Roys suggestion of Daubentons could be right. I've just read that they like to roost under bridges / tunnels near water. If Ians footbridge is over water the case for Daubentons looks quite strong.

Rik

Is there anything the people in here don't know?

The ultimate pub quiz team

Recently, as I locked up the workshop, by the step was a bat with one wing tied up with a cord of cobwebs. Managed to unhook its claw from the cobwebs and gently clean it up. Took it to the local sports field where bats roost in the oak trees, and set it down. Obviously quite traumatised, since it was still for a long time before again trying to hobble away. Having found that it could walk, and use both wings, it gave a little hop / test flight before soaring up and away.

Glad that you had a happy ending.

To do anything with bats, you are supposed to be trained and hold a licence, but emergency aid probably over rides that.

Howard

I'm quite lucky really,

we get at least 20 Swallows drinking from our s/pool first thing in the morning and again between 7-8pm......

then at around 9pm the bats do the same......(dusk)..

we always stop everything to watch......

which reminds me I must get on with making bat boxes.......

Slightly diff...

the house sparrows started to nest the end of Feb (our front porch, a large open affair)....we made shelves for them under the eves....must have had at least 8 succsesful nest's with only 4 chicks that fell out....they roost in the Olive trees nearby......at least 50 or so....

when the new barn is built it'll get Owl boxes on each end........

Life is good......

I sent the photo I have of it to a local bat expert I found after a bit of searching because I was curious to find out what species it was. They replied saying that it looks like a soprano pipistrelle. Bat are a protected species but you are allowed to handle one if it needs help. The bridge was indeed over a river, The bats like skimming the river for insects. The wiki page has a short sound clip of their ecolocation sound. Rather odd sounding but I suppose it makes sense to the bat.

We have bats, and when building a new workshop the local authority insisted on a bat brick, with a narrow slit as entrance. I put a bat box on the inside, with viewing panel normally covered by a hinged flap. But when I look, all I have ever seen is a startled blue tit. The bats are happy in the house loft, judging by the piles of droppings at one end.

This bat decided to travel a long distance the easy way.

RSPCA News

Way back in 2006 my wife discovered two tiny bats 'swimming' in the WC. The sash window was open an inch or so and has a lace curtain. It seems that the bats had been able to push the curtain inwards, but were unable to push it out when they discovered their mistake. They fell into the WC and couldn't get out again. My wife opened the window and used a towel to provide a ramp for the bats, which she then placed on the window sill. When she told me what had happened I went to look, then decided to get my camera. By the time I got back, one of the bats had flown away, but this rather bedraggled one remained. 30 minutes later, it too had flown away.

No bat-related, but I had an amazing incident with a Red Kite when I was out pedalling the other week. I was happily tootling along and I was about to make a slight diversion to avoid a bit of road kill in the road in front of me, when "Whoosh!" a Red Kite swooped from behind, about six inches above my head, dived down to the road an unfeasibly small distance in front of me and scooped up its lunch! I actually heard its talons scraping on the tarmac as it gathered in the harvest. How I didn't run over it I'll never know.

Edited By Nigel Bennett on 18/07/2020 16:59:03

Edited By Nigel Bennett on 18/07/2020 16:59:24

Presumably it thought you were a big animal heading for the morsel wih the same intention and was determined to get there first.
By odd coincidence that there is this thread last night I saw my occasional visiting bat for the first time ever flying up and down the porch half a dozen times before decideing to go elsewhere for the night. It has been leaving its droppings in the open porch as the only sign for years. Bit annoying really as I have to be careful not to leave my boots in the target zone.

We get a lot of bats flying around our house on summer evenings, they are feasting on the abundance of insects that fly around our village pond which borders our Close. I have put up a bat box on the rear of the house and it’s usually occupied. We live on the coast in East Sussex and some bats found locally have travelled across the Channel, probably hitching a ride on the ferries, bit worrying because one was found to be carrying rabies so glad Ian was using gloves.
Dave W

Our house was all closed up,windows and doors. Walked into a closed bedroom and had a bat with around a 9-10" wing span flapping around. Had to get the Wife as I cannot jump on and off the bed fast enough to have an effective pursuit. How it got in We never have figured out. Have 5 cats now so no repeat.

My shed woodburner had a simple top hat cowl when installed. 3yrs in I opened it up for a pre-winter clean and found 7 mumified pipistrelles in the fire box. Obviously I made an immediate mesh cover for the cowl. In hindsight I wonder why that isn't in legislation.

sad 'cos I like bats. We have had one in the conservatory one evening - fun chasing it out.

pgk