I recently found this little guy floating on the water on top of our pool cover.
As far as I can see, I think it's a Brown long-eared Bat (Plecotus auritus). I'm used to seeing our little Pipistrelle Bats, but I've never seen one of these before.
According to my book, they are not uncommon across Europe, but are not found in Greece or Southern Italy.
What a shame that it had to end up drowned on the pool cover.
Those ears are amazing. Do you have these where you live?
What a pretty little bat.
ReplyDeleteWe have about 8 different kinds of bats in Tucson. There are 4 major bridges that have bat colonies under them. At sunset the bats launch out to feed on insects. One bride has a colony of over 20, 000 bats. Many people come to watch the Urban Bat Spectacle. It is amazing.
I have several bats that come out at sunset at my home, I love seeing them zoom around.
cheers, parsnip
I had always thought we had just the one variety; Pipistrelles. I'm very pleased to see that we also have others.
DeleteThe ears are amazing. We have a few bats. Love watching them zooming round the lights at dusk. No long eared ones though
ReplyDeleteThey are lovely creatures. Summer evenings wouldn't be the same without them.
DeleteWe have the long-eareds in the Touraine. They occasionally roost in our barn in the summer. They like the built environment and if you see a bat fly into a building when flying around feeding it is usually a long-eared. We have at least 8 species of bat in our area. I go on the annual bat surveys (it's a great way of getting in to private chateaux).
ReplyDeleteNo doubt we have more than just a couple of varieties, but I've been lazy and call them all Pipistrelles. I must try to discover more.
DeletePoor little bat. I've never seen one with those long ears before.
ReplyDeleteNor me. I suppose it's tricky to exactly what's flying about in the dark. Perhaps they've been there all along.
DeleteIn the Spring/Summer, we watch the bats at dusk through our conservatory roof, catching insects. I don’t know what species they are .... probably the common variety ! I guess some of them live in our loft or at least the eaves of our house. XXXX
ReplyDeleteProbably the same ones as we see at nights; Battus Vulgaris.
DeleteYes, I have ears just like that.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have transparent wings. Have a lovely evening.
DeleteI can't see. It's too dark.
ReplyDeleteDitto.
ReplyDeleteYou both need Batman's Night-Vision glasses!
DeleteListen to them, the children of the night....
DeleteHaven't seen a bat since I moved here but we had them at the farm - not this kind though. He/she is a sweetie. I adore bats
ReplyDeleteNice isn't it; sad that it had to die so that I found it.
DeleteWe see a lot of bats here in the summer months as they travel off at dusk to feed, and then return to their roosts before dawn, but they are of a reasonable size. I think we do have some smaller bats, but I just can't remember.
ReplyDeleteThose big Aussie Bats are legendary.
DeleteWe have 4 or 5 varieties here in Ontario. I had to check. Bats eat a lot of mosquitos so are very welcome. We always see them at our cottage, mostly little brown bats.
ReplyDeleteThe ones we mostly have here are the very small Pipistrelles. Cuties.
DeleteI am appreciative of the role of bats and am glad to see them flying around at night scarfing up pesky bugs, but when they get in your house, it is an ugly situation.
ReplyDeleteIf they do get in, just leave the windows open, and they'll find their own way out. They won't get tangled in your hair (as tradition would have it).
DeleteI just found out via Google that we have 14 species of bats here in South Carolina. We often see them gliding around at dusk, eating insects. I'm sure they do us a great service controlling mosquitoes, but I just saw on the news where two rabid bats were found in this area recently. That's kind of scary!
ReplyDeleteWell, generally they don't bite humans; unless you interfere with them. I think you're safe!
DeleteAwwww, those bunny ears! We have bats, but I've never seen one up close, only in shadows at night. There are Screech Owls in the woods nearby and let me tell you, when they let out a screech, it sounds like someone being murdered. The first time I heard it, my hair stood on end like in cartoons. I've seen the Owls and they're beautiful. Bats are great to have around because they eat so many mosquitoes!! :-)
ReplyDelete'Screech Owls' used to appear in my Latin texts when I was at school; that was the last time I heard of them. I'd begun the think they were mythical beasts!
DeleteOh, they're real. My country boy, farmer son-in-law was with me outside the first time I heard one and I said some colorful cuss words. He laughed at me and said, "Awww, Miss Marion, that's just an ole Screech Owl." I hear them all the time in summer. I love hearing them hooting at night. They only screech when alarmed, I think. Otherwise, it's a pretty almost chuckling sound. I have some good binoculars and see them often when I walk in the woods.
DeleteI ve never seen one
ReplyDeleteNor have I John, but I now hope to see more.
DeleteWhere I stayed in France the house shutters were home to lots of Pipistrelles during the day which was a nuisance when we wanted to shut the shutters but there were many other places for them to go. I've never knowingly seen a long-eared bat and, so far as I'm aware, there are no bats on Lewis outside of a few Pipistrelle colonies in Stornoway.
ReplyDelete