I saw a whole batch of them take off and circle around us before flying off at Sandringham C&CC site a couple of years ago. Quite a sight to see. Haven't seen any anywhere since unfortunately.
We see literally thousands of them a year! Close by is the largest maternity roost for Greater Horseshoe bats in Europe, you can see thousands coming from the roost every evening, and a constant flow over our property every seasonal evening, a fantastic sight. Fisherman sometimes catch them while fly fishing for Sea Trout at night!
I'm probably looking in the wrong place or at the wrong time, or maybe there just aren't many around this way. I seem to remember the ones I saw at Sandringham came out about dusk and appeared to come from the trees behind our pitch.
Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 13/4/2024
Yes, they appear at dusk Colin. Our front window faces onto a park with the river Lea flowing through it. The bats like it.
Yes I thought dusk was the right time. I can't actually see the River Lea from our house, but it does flow right through our village. It is a navigable river by then of course and there are quite a few boats on it.
We are only about a mile from it's source so not navigable here, but it has.already been joined by a couple of tributaries. We can see one, the Catsbrook, from here. All of 1/4 mile long.
Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 13/4/2024
We are only about a mile from it's source so not navigable here, but it has.already been joined by a couple of tributaries. We can see one, the Catsbrook, from here. All of 1/4 mile long.
The end of navigation is in Hertford, about 3 or 4 miles from here, so you are well above that. A couple more tributaries flow into the Lea near Hertford, so it must have quite a few!
------------- * Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest And Play! *
- 2025 - inc. FR & DE
- 2024 - 10/56 inc. FR & NL
- 2023 - 48 inc. FR
- 2022 - 49
- 2021 - 34
* Ex-tenter & solo female camper *
* Treat life events like a dog: If you can't eat it, play with it, or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away! *
We normally see them flying past the house. Not yet though, it's far too cold oop 'ere.
A few years back on a very warm night, one came through our bedroom window waking me up, and flew round and round the room. I nudged OH awake, he stood in the middle of the room with the bat flying round his head, whilst I cowered under the sheets. He opened the curtains and the windows very wide, the bat did a couple more circuits then radared itself out, thank goodness.
I wouldn't have minded, but it flapped a load of dust down from the top of the wardrobe.
You can buy a bat detector gadget, if you'd like to know what type of bats they are: our local RSPB shop sells them, or go online (I think price reflects quality). My work colleagues used to work dusk to 9pm counting them & had to be vaccinated against rabies. So if you find one & want to move it to safety, wear thick gloves to be safe; they won't bash into you if they come indoors as their echo location is so efficient. I always fancied a pet bat - they eat 5,000 midges a night, very welcome in summer!
Usually I see a few pipistrelles over the garden but it's been cold and windy lately; perhaps they'll comeout soon, as it's becoming milder. Those Greater Horseshoes sound pretty spectacular, Devonatheart!
------------- Always edited for sloppy typing - when I spot it!
I wonder if they were the type of bat we saw when we had a holiday cottage at Hallsands. There was a single track road leading down to the beach, we called it 'bat alley', as every evening they came out in hordes. We used to take the (young) children out to see them.