Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
Here are a couple of photos of pipistrelle bats I photographed in the moats of the Redoubt a couple of nights ago. Well worth popping along with an acoustic bat detector if you have access to one.
I might pop out this Wednesday eve to Kearsney Abbey to listen and look for bats if anyone would like to come along - weather dependent, of course.
Kent Bat group and the WCCP have their 'official' bat walk on the 21st July around the Heights. I'll post details closer to the time if anyone is interested.
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
Excellent, I love bats
Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
We have two bats who feed on the midges over our garden pond. I love to sit and watch them, their speed and agility has proven too great for my photography skills, so thank you Phil. Our two are very different in size and surprisingly the larger of the two is the quickest.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
very evocative photos phil, remind me of one of those films where the french windows suddenly open, a scantily clad young lady is spreadeagled across a bed then the bat turns into christopher lee in evening dress and for reasons unknown he bites her on the neck.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
Howard. Those were wonderful rubber bats in those films, usually suspended on fishing rods!
Excellent Lesley - sounds like you have two different species there. Fascinating animals to watch.
Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
Thanks Howard, that must explain my sudden dislike of garlic!
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
Awesome pix Phil
An official bat walk, now theres a thought
Howard, spreadeagle(s)d and bats, the mind boggles!!!!
Guest 730- Registered: 5 Nov 2011
- Posts: 221
Very clever photos. How on earth do you go about taking a photo of a fast moving bat in the dark.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Flash.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Ah ahhhhhh !!!
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
You just have to take shot after shot with the flash on. Eventually you will get a bat even if nine out of ten are blank. It helps having a bat detector as one can hear the 'pings' and know that it is close. That's the good thing with digital photography, it just doesn't matter as crap pictures cost nothing to take and delete.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
The best way to attract bats is by playing classical Transylvanian music.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
Bat Detectors can be pricey and over-complicated. This is the cheapest/simplest I could find...
http://www.batbox.com/baton.aspIgnorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
Yes, thanks Tom. That's one of the two I have. Couldn't be simpler as one just turns it on and it requires no frequency tuning. I'd guess it has a range of about ten meters or so. One can also record the signals on a portable drive in mp3 format and examine the scans on your computer later using programmes such as Batscan.
Here is a small vid I put together a couple of years ago that was recorded using the Batbox Baton:
[url][/url]
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
I'm going to pop up to Kearsney Abbey with the detectors tonight at 21:30 to find some bats. Everyone here welcome to come.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
meanwhile back at the bat cave.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
robin is cooking the chicken tika.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
I'm sorry Brian, but I know you are on a hell-bent quest to devour at least one example of every animal in the global fauna, but I think bats are too leathery even for you. (Actually, they aren't that bad on a kebab skewer, but don't tell anyone.)
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Reminds me of Monsieur Mangetout who used to appear on the Guiness World Records all the time in the 80s !!!!
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Did you hear about that chap who shot a Golden Eagle? He ended up in court, in front of a magistrate. The magistrate said, "This is a dreadful thing." The chap said, "I never intended to. I was shooting pheasant and it flew into my line of fire. Complete accident." The magistrate said, "Ok. As a matter of interest, what did you do with it?" He said, "I ate it." The magistrate said, "Good God, what did it taste like?" He said, "Rather like swan..."
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
