In article , Martin Brown |||newspam
writes
Anyone else with a bat roost in their house? It is the time of year when
the babies try to fly and a few get into silly places (rather nasty cold
and wet up in N Yorks too but I guess they can't choose the weather).

One today was lucky that I can still hear 16kHz after it got trapped on
the floor in a stairwell. They struggle if their flight muscles get cold
away from the roost, and gloss painted skirting boards prevent them
climbing up a wall to take off again so they quickly get distressed,
exhausted and cold on the ground. Distress call sounds a bit like an
intermittent smoke alarm low battery but at a much higher frequency.

The local bat group taught me how to handle them so that they don't have
to be called out for every one that gets itself into trouble now.

you can buy a 'bat box' which translates their calls to a lower
frequency audible to normal humans. Useful for recognising different
species. And also a lot easier to spot them flying if you can hear their
approach on the bat box. Nice bit of kit.

Canoeing at night on the canal with low flying Daubenton's bats is good
fun.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"