Bats

[Geoff]

When do Bats normally appear? I don't put them in my diary like the Curlews and Swallows. We had three flying round this evening which seems quite early to me. Mind it has been a glorious day.

[Elaine]

Ello Geoff. They usually come out of hibernation any time from mid March, depending on the temperature. A lovely day like today would be enough to wake them up for a sortie! Cheers, Elaine.

[arthur e]

Saw my first Pipistrelle last night.
Arthur

[Primrose]

I didn't realise that bats hibernated properly. I seem to recall seeing the odd pipestrelle flying around here through most of the winter on mild nights. Don't know what they would feed on though as I wouldn't have thought there would be many insects around. However, we have security lights outside our house which often trigger on in high winds and even on a cold night you can sometimes see moths flying around them attracted by the light, so perhaps that's what they've been after.

[alan refail]

We've certainly seen a few bats here through the milder parts of the winter.

[Monika]

Around here it seems to vary very much. I have the dates for the last 20 years and they go from 8 February (1993) to 23 April (2008), but usually it's towards the end of March. This year, a local farmer reported one bat (most likely a pipistrelle) on 16 February, but only last night, the 18th, were they really out in force.

Nothing to do with bats, but today we had the first sighting of two wheatears at the edge of the moor, a grand sign of spring to come.

[Elaine]

Oh how brilliant. I love Wheatears. We don't have them round here. Nearest spot for me to see them is Spurn and Kilnsea, 20 miles away.Cheers, Elaine.

[Johnboy]

I have seen the odd bat about but I do not think they are from the resident long ear bats that live and breed in my roof and spend the winter down the old well. They are still in the well and generally do not move home for another couple of weeks. I think the bats that I have seen are Pipestrelles (unsure of the spelling at this time in the morning!)
JB.

[oldherbaceous]

Can anyone still actually hear bats?

[peter]

Can anyone still actually hear bats?

Every time I go round the in-laws.

[Monika]

Peter, I trust not in the belfry!?

Re hearing bats, I don't think humans can hear them OH. I've certainly heard their echo soundings on bat detectors and I have felt their wingbeats as they have passed close by. I love bats. I once had to rescue and look after one for two days and he was a sweet little thing.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Monika, i definitely used to be able to hear them when i was younger.

[Smurfy]

I second that, i can hear them occasionally but need a quiet and still night. I used to be able to hear them much more clearly when i was younger. My sister and i used to able to tell our parents that the bats were out when sat in the house with a window open.

[alan refail]

Dear Monika, i definitely used to be able to hear them when i was younger.

And your hearing was more acute.

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