Wow what great information.... I remember bats flying around us at middle high camp when we showed movies on those dreaded 16 mm projectors upstairs in the activity hall... We were on their turf and they reminded us for about 2 hours...lol
Like Barry, I love the information...who knew? I must admit that due to encounters as a child, running down our driveway after dark with bats swooping by the nearest light post, I was petrified. Now not so much! Thanks for opening my eyes to the positive aspects of these creatures. God made them too!!
I can see how much you enjoyed writing this--the writing got me to the end of this one. I get what you are saying about bats--I really do!--and they still make me shiver. It's ridiculous; I've hardly ever seen a bat. Old prejudices are hard to eradicate, aren't they?
I never realised that bats have such individual faces nor that they can be so tiny. Super post. I've been watching Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's 'Hugh's Wild West' set in the west country of the UK and bats of all kinds feature. They're actually beautiful. Now I want to catch a view of some here at dark. Thank you, Elizabeth.
I need to share this with my bat-phobic neighbors. There is so much to appreciate ,if not downright love about bats. Thank you Elizabeth, for the great read
What a wonderful gift Elizabeth! Belated thanks are in order, along with some context. My fascination with bats has a backstory and a bit of sentimentality, so please indulge. During summer visits to our grandparents' home in eastern N.C. your pre-teen brother and cousins found creative ways to entertain ourselves. Among other escapades, we caught (and released) bumble bees in our bare hands, a trick our dad showed us; played games in an abandoned school bus; and told ghost stories in a real underground bomb shelter. At dusk one of our few options was throwing rocks at bats flying overhead. (Spoilier alert: Our aim was a joke and bats fly like Top Gun pilots, only better.) We loved watching them dart toward the projectiles, possibly sensing an insect, only to veer off a split second later. Decades of summers later, we sit our our rock-free porch for the twilight ritual, as the dayshift sea birds head home, soon to be followed by the the nightshift bats , in infinite numbers, seeking their daily fare in the thick river air. The fascination has remained constant.
“The wow-factor with bats is pretty much pegged at the ceiling.” Puns appreciated. I feel like you and writer Mary Roach should be friends. Also, thanks for teaching me about bats’ x15 metabolism and anti inflammatory response. The people interested in bats are also interesting. I met a man named Steve Goodman once who I’m pretty sure decided to study bats instead of becoming a sculpture artist. Maybe one day he or someone will create beautiful bat sculptures. I feel like the oldest documented Brandt’s bat deserves one. And the speed record setting Mexican free-tailed one too. Herlihy’s photos (and shared info for this post) are great!
What an interesting ride! Where I am, down under, bats resemble large birds flying through the night sky. With Australia hosting some of the largest bat species in the world, I often see the fuzzy creates shoot above me with staggering wingspans of up to a metre (3.3 feet) long!
This is absolutely FASCINATING, Elizabeth - and wow, I had no idea there were so many species of bats! I've come across bats in unexpected places a couple of times in recent years - it was a surprise to find one in our hotel bedroom, for instance! Jim took a video of it in slow motion, which makes it look really sinister (which it wasn't - we loved having our own hotel bat!). 🤣
Wow what great information.... I remember bats flying around us at middle high camp when we showed movies on those dreaded 16 mm projectors upstairs in the activity hall... We were on their turf and they reminded us for about 2 hours...lol
Wow! Who knew? ♥️
Like Barry, I love the information...who knew? I must admit that due to encounters as a child, running down our driveway after dark with bats swooping by the nearest light post, I was petrified. Now not so much! Thanks for opening my eyes to the positive aspects of these creatures. God made them too!!
I can see how much you enjoyed writing this--the writing got me to the end of this one. I get what you are saying about bats--I really do!--and they still make me shiver. It's ridiculous; I've hardly ever seen a bat. Old prejudices are hard to eradicate, aren't they?
"“Next, maybe a course on my own object of fascination: Bats, nature’s own mosquito control.” His birthday was yesterday, and this is my gift to him."
HBD to your bro.
BTW, please NEVER use those wasp sticky traps. They kill bats!! We learned the hard way💔
So good.
I've never seen a bat, but there is no way I could have handled that pregnancy moment. Yikes. I hope your brother loves the tribute!
I never realised that bats have such individual faces nor that they can be so tiny. Super post. I've been watching Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's 'Hugh's Wild West' set in the west country of the UK and bats of all kinds feature. They're actually beautiful. Now I want to catch a view of some here at dark. Thank you, Elizabeth.
I need to share this with my bat-phobic neighbors. There is so much to appreciate ,if not downright love about bats. Thank you Elizabeth, for the great read
What a wonderful gift Elizabeth! Belated thanks are in order, along with some context. My fascination with bats has a backstory and a bit of sentimentality, so please indulge. During summer visits to our grandparents' home in eastern N.C. your pre-teen brother and cousins found creative ways to entertain ourselves. Among other escapades, we caught (and released) bumble bees in our bare hands, a trick our dad showed us; played games in an abandoned school bus; and told ghost stories in a real underground bomb shelter. At dusk one of our few options was throwing rocks at bats flying overhead. (Spoilier alert: Our aim was a joke and bats fly like Top Gun pilots, only better.) We loved watching them dart toward the projectiles, possibly sensing an insect, only to veer off a split second later. Decades of summers later, we sit our our rock-free porch for the twilight ritual, as the dayshift sea birds head home, soon to be followed by the the nightshift bats , in infinite numbers, seeking their daily fare in the thick river air. The fascination has remained constant.
“The wow-factor with bats is pretty much pegged at the ceiling.” Puns appreciated. I feel like you and writer Mary Roach should be friends. Also, thanks for teaching me about bats’ x15 metabolism and anti inflammatory response. The people interested in bats are also interesting. I met a man named Steve Goodman once who I’m pretty sure decided to study bats instead of becoming a sculpture artist. Maybe one day he or someone will create beautiful bat sculptures. I feel like the oldest documented Brandt’s bat deserves one. And the speed record setting Mexican free-tailed one too. Herlihy’s photos (and shared info for this post) are great!
What an interesting ride! Where I am, down under, bats resemble large birds flying through the night sky. With Australia hosting some of the largest bat species in the world, I often see the fuzzy creates shoot above me with staggering wingspans of up to a metre (3.3 feet) long!
This is absolutely FASCINATING, Elizabeth - and wow, I had no idea there were so many species of bats! I've come across bats in unexpected places a couple of times in recent years - it was a surprise to find one in our hotel bedroom, for instance! Jim took a video of it in slow motion, which makes it look really sinister (which it wasn't - we loved having our own hotel bat!). 🤣