Bats Before Bedtime

Last night saw me down on the Somerset Levels. I had been watching Springwatch, and at about 8.30 I looked out the window and thought, hang on, it's such a beautiful evening what on earth am I doing inside watching television. Sorry chaps, the call of the wild I'm afraid.

We'd had a few heavy showers over the day, but by the evening strong clear sunlight dazzled the countryside, with that intensity one gets after rain as the air is purged of all impurities and heightens the light.

My intention was to drive down to Catcott and hunt a barn owl or two. So half an hour later I found myself standing in a field, surrounded by buttercups and flag iris. Around me flew swallows, from every shrub and tree garden, willow and cetti's warblers made merry with the still air, now the wind had dropped, filling the dusk with an evening chorus. Young cattle bounded and skittered across the field and stood looking at me, not quite knowing what to do until a Buzzard flew across the field, something to chase and they were off. Leaving me to my reverie. On the river, a dozen or more mute swans, a shovler and a selection of mallard, completed a pastoral scene of England, accentuated by Glastonbury Tor in the distance. I was at peace with the world. Sadly though not a single barn owl came into view.

All was not quite peaceful actually. One of the dangers, if that is the right word word, of being on the Somerset Levels at dusk, are mosquitoes, midge and a whole host of bitey annoying little fellahs. I was scanning along the hedgeline hoping to spy a barn owl, but above me there was a constant high pitched humming and buzzing as a cloud of flying insects gathered above me poised to feed. I took a photo (above). If you look closely, there are a few spots on there but that could have been dust on the lens. So a brainwave, put the flash on....................

What a difference and I just think this is beautiful in it's own right. doesn't matter what these are. Like stars in the sky. Those insects are now caught for all time, when we all know in a day or so they will be no more. I had to try another.

It was about 9.30pm now and the light was fading fast. First then a daylight shot taken without the flash (above). Nice in a way but not much to see. But switch the flash on and WOW!!! an absolutely breathtaking photo which really made me think, wildlife is art, art is wildlife. Unplanned but beautiful. Before then I'd not thought of taking photos of insects with the flash, but the effect for me at least was a revelation. The Sky at Night!

That was a good enough end to my visit to the Levels. So at 9.45pm as it was getting seriously dark, I walked back to the car. Something told me to take a detour on the way home. Unsure why, I drove down a very narrow track and in doing so careered headlong into a bat bonanza. In the car headlights, bats wheeled and whirred in all directions, picking off unsuspecting moths trapped by an automotive moonbeam.

Spurred on by my gnat flash photos, could I bag a bat the same way. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so now, even though after 10pm and nearly dark I began.

First of all this was the scene using the camera and the flash off. It was dark, but all around me bats flashed just feet away. Flash on, and after a couple of failed attempts, the third photo, bingo, what a stunner!

Then the bats came thick and fast, it was almost like the flash was attracting them, or maybe it attracted insects as all of a sudden there were bats everywhere. Sadly after the success of the above photo I never got the bat velocity to Andrew's trigger finger ratio in total harmony. I got the bats but they were a bit distant, those blobs in the middle of the photo (but click to enlarge for a better view).

But hey it was now 10.30 and I thought well, you've had a darn good evening Andrew, time to head home, cocoa, slippers and look at the photos in the warm on the laptop. Just one last photo though. Honestly this was the very last photo I took and what a banker of a shot. Top stuff for me. Just a hand held camera and the speed of my eye and finger co-ordination, no fancy electronics and trigger switches, just being there the right place at the right time. I'm pleased as a punch.

And what are they? Well I believe Noctule bats because of the rich creamy red underside, but more than happy for anyone with more knowledge than me to put me right on that one. I just enjoyed being out on the Somerset Levels in the dark, seeing wildlife in a totally different way.

Sorry Springwatch, I'm sure it was a great programme, but this was better.

There's something of the night.....

....... about me. I do seem to spend a lot of time wandering about in the night, always have done as long as I can remember. As a child I often woke at dawn and wandered the fields before coming home, breakfast and off to school. Could never understand why my school friends stayed in bed all weekend, to me there was so much to see.

Anyway this morning, up at 4, so thought I'd put the washing out on the line, may be dry enough to iron before work. Border Reiver is a martyr to domestic chores, I must spend ohh at least 10 minutes a week doing housework.

So off I popped into the galloping dawn only to be hassled by a bat. Pipistrelles moved into the estate as soon as the houses were built. I noticed the first spring I lived here they'd come out at dusk. I've not actually worked out where they are roosting exactly, but guess in the sofit boards, of my house and those around me. These are summer roosts, as the Pips are never seen in the winter here, though they will readily fly on warm winter evenings. I remember walking at dusk at Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire on Boxing Day, and there were loads of them flitting through the ruins.

And a sign of a wildlife obsessed man, the pegging up of the washing was abandoned, as I thought, wonder if I could photograph this little fella me lad (actually there were 2 of them). Well that was the thought. In reality, a hand held camera and a fast moving flying mouse proved more difficult than I thought. These three photographs were the result of over 30 taken. I'm sure the bats must have thought they were celebrities, the amount of flash-light going off. But I will try again in a more organised way one day.

What's interesting is the bats were following a fairly steady figure of 8 line between the trees and next door garden. Now of course they were hunting for tasty morsels on the wing, but if the above photos are enlarged, go on you know you want to, the number of flying insects picked up by the flash, above the two branches is quite staggering.

Sadly though these photographs will not be winning any wildlife awards, but I don't care, they're my bats, so that's all that matters !!