Bats
I have always been interested in these rather mysterious creatures. Just recently I have got a bat detector from Magenta Electronics. This listens for the echo location ultra sound that the bats use when hunting and converts it to a sound which we humans can hear.
I now know that we have both pipistrelles and noctules flying in our garden. The pipistrelle is very small and has an erratic flight pattern. It makes you laugh hearing it, for as it homes in on its insect prey, the bat detector produces a rather refined raspberry noise.
The bat activity by the Kennet and Avon Canal is huge and includes daubenton's bats. These lovely creatures were common on the Canal de l'Est in France, too. That was near Bayon
A question.
Why do bats like overhead high voltage wires to fly round? Could the wires attract insects?
And a photograph taken in September 2001 – of a pipistrelle flying in my garden.
For more information on bats click here
