Sacha wrote:
On 20/5/08 08:13, in article , "Martin
Brown" wrote:

Sacha wrote:

Well, the garden shed. We were delighted yesterday when someone heard
squeaking and shuffling behind the vertical larch lap of one of the sheds.

Try not to disturb them any more than is absolutely necessary.

The shed is used for storing tools and by Matthew for woodwork but they're
on the exterior. It's on a path that customers and staff walk up and down
all the time but they're so well tucked into the little crack between the
panels that it was only their noise that gave them away. Obviously, they're
not bothered by the people nearby! Bit like a bird that nested in a 'for
sale' apple tree in a row of many others a few years ago. Needless to say,
that one wasn't sold!

They tend to live under the eaves or in cracks. I can't really see how
they get into our loft but they manage it easily enough. I just put an
old roasting tray under the roost to catch most of the droppings. They
also sit behind the N facing external weather boards as well.

It looks as if long-eared bats are roosting (nesting?) there. We could just
see their tiny heads moving about from time to time so we'll have to go down
there at dusk and wait to see if they emerge. We always get bats around
here in the summer but didn't know they were actually on the property.

It is the season. They are in a summer roost and mostly pregnant females
or possibly just with young now. Plenty of food on the wing with masses
of mayflies etc.

They come out at dusk, but their flight muscles are still a bit cold so
they fly relatively slowly. It is worth watching them come home at dawn
when they are flying at their full potential.

Somehow, I think we're more likely to see them at dusk. ;-)) One of the
staff found a bat on the path a few days ago and carried it into the other,
lean-to shed. As soon as it got into the gloom it flew away and up into the
beams. I wonder if it's rejoined its family. Thanks for the information,

It is more likely that being held in the hand warmed its flight muscles
up to the point where it could fly again. They sort of go into torpor if
they get stuck on the ground as can sometimes happen in a house with
nice painted skirting boards when their hooks won't catch on anything.
Even the smallest baby bats can climb a brick wall at astonishing speed.

Officially you are not supposed to handle bats without a license but the
local bat watch taught me how to do it to avoid being called out every
time one got itself into trouble. We have a summer roost of about 200
pipestrelles - and they eat a lot of mozzies!

Regards,
Martin Brown
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **