Earth Notes: Bats Around our Home aka 16WW (2024)

Alison F reported that she observed a bat feeding in Kingston cemetery on Saturday evening around 5pm.

There has been an interesting report from Italy of blue tits and greater noctules sharing a home: Dangerous neighbours: Birds and bird-eating bats sharing tree cavities [russo2024sharing].

22:40Z at least one pip upstream on the Villiers Road bridge over the Hogsmill, and two or three visible downstream; there had been huge clouds of midges earlier. ~11°C. Sunset ~18:15Z.

20:57Z no bats seen, fairly heavy rain.

20:58Z at least one (likely pip) at the Villiers Road bridge over the Hogsmill, possibly working both sides of the bridge; there had been huge clouds of midges earlier. ~12°C. Sunset ~19:23Z.

20:15Z none at the Villiers Road bridge over the Hogsmill, even though clouds of midges. ~5 bats seen in cemetery over next 10 minutes or so. ~14°C. Twilight. Sunset ~19:47Z.

20:01Z: open study window, Pettersson bat detector set at 45kHz. Plenty of insects visible airborne. ~17°C. Twilight. Sunset ~19:50Z.

Pass heard at 20:08Z (multiple), loud at 20:09Z (visual contact!). Again 20:10Z loud, 20:13Z loud.

Detector off at 20:30Z.

20:57Z one (maybe pip) downstream at the Villiers Road bridge over the Hogsmill, with clouds of midges. ~12°C. Sunset ~20:13Z.