Bats

[Doris_Pinks]

Saw my first swooping in the neighbours garden on Sunday, he must have been wearing his thermals!

[honeybee]

Ive not seen any yet, i will keep a watch out 

[Granny_Smith]

They were doing a 'fly past' outside our window at the weekend. OH went out with his bat detector gizmo and was picking up their sounds.

[chriszog]

They have been about in Bedfordshire for over a week now. Last year they nested in my loft. Hope a repeat is on the cards again this summer.
Chriszog

[quinny]

I've been keeping my eye out for a couple of weeks now,  went out tonight and low and behold I saw one.  Flew about a metre above my head, bold as brass, circled a few pine trees and then off into the night.

Amazing creatures, think I'll make a few batboxes for them, hopefully attract some...

[wardy]

None in my garden yet.  Too cooooold 

[Doris_Pinks]

Quinny, you make bats box's? Oh do please  tell me how!

[quinny]

Hi Doris,

I've only made a few birdboxes so far but the Batbox design is very similar.  This RSPB Link has loadsa DIY boxes for building.  They're easy because I'm not too handy believe me...

This is it:-

http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/whatyoucando/batbox/index.asp

Currently have a DIY birdbox with a pair of blue-tits in it.  Amazing to watch...

[Doris_Pinks]

Ohhhh thanks for that I want a birdbox too, and maybe a few rellies will be getting home made Christmas presents this year!

[quinny]

Two bats flying tonight - the more the merrier I say. 

Bat facts, they're the only flying mammal. 
Baby bats are fed on milk when they're young.
16 species of Bats in the UK, many endangered.
They can see but not very well, they use echolocation(a kinda radar) to fly at night...

Doris - don't use treated wood if you make a bat box, they're sensitive little beasties, it's not good for them. Put them on a southfacing wall/tree if you can so that the summer sun keeps 'em cosy!

[Mrs Ava]

Grandad received a bat listening kit for Chrimble from his number one son.  He has been sitting in his garden in North Devon for a good few weeks now listening to the little winged critters! 

Bats are one of my fave flying rodents  .  Great place on the Isle of Wight is Amazon World where they is a darkened area and a room full of bats!  Some real big buggers to.  Kept thinking of Dracula! 

[wardy]

Been bat watching tonight in my garden.  The first bats I;ve seen this year and I don't think they;re Pippistrelles.  These were quite big but don;t know what they are.

[ani]

Chester zoo also has a fantastic bat house, I could spend hours in there, they have loads of fruit hanging up all over the place and you can watch the bats feeding. Not sure how many breeds, but I know they have pipistrales and some huge ones.
We've got a lot nesting in the old church opposite the house and it's great sitting out in the evening with the obligatory glass of wine, bat watching 

[wardy]

I like bat watching too.  Sat out last night with a can of lager.  How relaxing 

[flower]

I like bat watching too. Sat out last night with a can of lager. How relaxing

made me smile reading that last summer later on in the evening when relaxing with the vino before the torchlight slug hunt sat watching the bats flying lovely sight they swoop pretty close sometimes too ( became very adept at not spilling a drop i might add when ducking ) big sigh roll on them summer evenings might get some vino practice in now 

[Doris_Pinks]

Fleur, so nice to see ya!!!  We sat out tonight to see them, not a bat in sight..................sigh! But tis early days (and of course we had the wine!)

[kitty]

we havea sort of 'arrow slit in the eves.....if you picture a very small village school and the sort of bell towery bit-welltheres a slit below that into a very small roof space-there was some unidentifiable poo there-wasnt birdy poo......unless of course theres a weeny weeny dog visiting us
well...i think its bats-lovely!i cant wait for those still nights where you sit out till past dark and see lots of animals.....

[wardy]

I was telling my sister that my OH and I were out bat watching in the garden the other night and she thought I was mad and terribly sad.  Beats sitting indoors watching East Enders which is what normal people do apparently 

[Doris_Pinks]

Not us, banned in this house!

[lorna]

Amazon world it is for me when I holiday in Isle of Wight (first time) in June. Will have to go on my own as daughter doesn't like anything that flies... moths, birds etc. She does love cats and dogs though