Bats out tonight.

GinSoaked

Seems a bit early to see quite so many. Perhaps 3 or 4 Daubentons flying about 4 inches above the river near the house and the same number of Pipestrels overhead. Hope these warm(ish) nights hold up for them.

John_Rambo

I can't tell the difference between the breeds!!! I can just see them flitting around the lampposts close to the river in front of the house, but there's plenty of them. I'm in Dublin and I'm noticing a massive increase in insects probably due to cleaner air, increased gardening and less invasive cutting activity in the parklands.

GinSoaked

John_Rambo wrote: »

I can't tell the difference between the breeds!!! I can just see them flitting around the lampposts close to the river in front of the house, but there's plenty of them. I'm in Dublin and I'm noticing a massive increase in insects probably due to cleaner air, increased gardening and less invasive cutting activity in the parklands.

I know we have Daubentons because we used to have a proper bat survey done here in the summer.

Basically the Daubentons fly really low over water rise a bit turn then repeat and I don't think any other bat makes a habit of that . A Pipistrel will fly low but not make pass after pass at the same height inches above the water.

If they are flying around lamposts which may be attracting insects they are most likley Pipistrels.

The bat surveys were done with a ultrasonic bat detector and you can tune it so you can tell what particular species of bat its "hearing".

tricky D

They were out a couple of weeks ago around here (north east Dublin).

fritzelly

In Dublin south city center and never seen a bat but by god the birds tweeting is deafening.
But given the times maybe a good thing not to be seeing bats

Mickeroo

fritzelly wrote: »

But given the times maybe a good thing not to be seeing bats

Eh?

magicbastarder

bats and covid 19, undoubtedly.

Scotty #

Been keeping an eye out in Drogheda near Oldbridge. Haven't seen any yet.

Mickeroo

magicbastarder wrote: »

bats and covid 19, undoubtedly.

Ah yeah, brain fart on my part there. :pac:

GinSoaked

They seem to move around a good bit. On a really good night I could see 20 Pipistrels in one spot by the river the following night with exactly the same weather conditions I might not see one. Also they will roost in one of our sheds for a couple of nights then vanish and not come back for another month.

Joeseph Balls

I have 3 what I think are Pipistrelles in the attic.
They must be venturing out as they are in different places each day.
Going to read up on them tonight and maybe put a few bat boxes in the garden.

whatever76

last few weeks noticed a good 5/6 about of an evening in my back garden - same time as well around 8.30/8.45 Cork City Centre (South side) , was very surprised being so close to city centre but house is very near a school GAA pitch thast has some trees around it .. they fly pretty low as well so freaked me out a bit

Joeseph Balls

Hope this pic works,
Not a great one but only took a few to show the kids, don't like bothering them.

joe swanson

Have three large beech trees out the back. Bats (not big) flying around it during summer looking for insects . Don’t venture too far away from the trees . Any ideas?

stevek93

Is this because the demand on takeaways have declined?

GinSoaked

Our commonest bat is the Pipistrel and its the most likely one you'll see. We really only have a few species in Ireland so if they aren't Pipistrels its a major scientific discovery

Mickeroo

GinSoaked wrote: »

Our commonest bat is the Pipistrel and its the most likely one you'll see. We really only have a few species in Ireland so if they aren't Pipistrels its a major scientific discovery

There's 9 species here, 3 of which are pipistrelle (think they're by far the most common numbers wise as you say):

• common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
• soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus)
• Nathusius’ pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii)
• Leisler’s bat (Nyctalus leisleri)
• brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus)
• Daubenton’s bat (Myotis daubentonii)
• whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus)
• Natterer’s bat (Myotis nattereri)
• lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros)

I could have sworn I read a couple of years ago on here we were actually up to 12 species but don't know what the other 3 are.

a148pro

fritzelly wrote: »

In Dublin south city center and never seen a bat

I see them regularly on the grand canal around dusk, seen them for about the last 3 weeks. They're really cute!

Incidently, I'm convinced I can hear them make a kind of high pitched zapping sound, anyone else think this? Have I special powers or am I deluding myself?

Grolschevik

a148pro wrote: »

I see them regularly on the grand canal around dusk, seen them for about the last 3 weeks. They're really cute!

Incidently, I'm convinced I can hear them make a kind of high pitched zapping sound, anyone else think this? Have I special powers or am I deluding myself?

I sometimes think I can hear something. I can hear that ultrasonic teen deterrent they sometimes use near shops, and occasionally the sonic rodent deterrents. Or it's just tinnitus from loud music...

anacc

a148pro wrote: »

I see them regularly on the grand canal around dusk, seen them for about the last 3 weeks. They're really cute!

Incidently, I'm convinced I can hear them make a kind of high pitched zapping sound, anyone else think this? Have I special powers or am I deluding myself?

Yes, you're hearing the bats, but it's not the bat's echolocation. It's a lower frequency that they use to communicate with each other. It's still a frequency that's at the higher end of the spectrum that humans can hear, and most people cannot hear it. I, like you can hear it, as can my kids, but my wife and others I know cannot.

John_Rambo

anacc wrote: »

Yes, you're hearing the bats, but it's not the bat's echolocation. It's a lower frequency that they use to communicate with each other. It's still a frequency that's at the higher end of the spectrum that humans can hear, and most people cannot hear it. I, like you can hear it, as can my kids, but my wife and others I know cannot.

Ah. I thought I "was one with the bats" and had amazing hearing and could hear the sound the use for locating prey.

But It's just them wolf whistling at each other.

Excellent explanation. Thanks.

s7ryf3925pivug

I've seen a couple in my back garden over the last week. No idea how you can tell what type they are. I only ever see sillouhettes.

GinSoaked

Rayna Petite Sociology wrote: »

I've seen a couple in my back garden over the last week. No idea how you can tell what type they are. I only ever see sillouhettes.

I think they all have slightly different radar "sounds" so you can get an electronic device that helps give some indication of species https://www.batconservationireland.org/get-involved/bat-detectors-getting-using

In a roost (like one of our sheds) you can tell the species apart from the droppings. Size where the roost and where they feed also give an indication. The Daubentons I mentioned have a very obvious feeding pattern less than a foot above water so that one can be easy enough to identify.

Daubentons and Pipistrelles out again tonight but only a couple of each.

Joeseph Balls

So small update,
Was plumbing a shower in my attic this evening and managed to get a better pic of my Lodgers. I don't think they are pipistrelles

Alun

Brown long-eared bats I think.

Joeseph Balls

Alun wrote: »

Brown long-eared bats I think.

Yea pretty sure that's what they are.
Would they share a roost with pipistrelles?

Alun

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Yea pretty sure that's what they are.
Would they share a roost with pipistrelles?

To be honest, I don't know, but I think it's unlikely.

BTW if that was my attic, I'd be looking at installing a small webcam or similar up there.

Joeseph Balls

Alun wrote: »

To be honest, I don't know, but I think it's unlikely.

BTW if that was my attic, I'd be looking at installing a small webcam or similar up there.

Though about a wildlife cam alright.
We're not in the house at the min, but will be in a couple of weeks. From reading online, they seem harmless enough up there except from the droppings.

Alun

What you might consider, if you're not averse to them staying around, and I applaud you for that by the way, is installing some kind of enclosure in the attic around where they're entering. You can even get special "bat tiles" and "bat bricks" to install to allow you to stop up any other gaps in tiles or the eaves, but still allow them access to the enclosure.

See https://www.nhbs.com/4?q=&hPP=60&idx=titles&p=0&fR[shops.id][0]=4&fR[shops.id][1]=4&hFR[subjects_equipment.lvl1][0]=Bat%20Boxes%20%3E%20Integrated%20Bat%20Boxes

The droppings generally are quite dry and don't smell unless you have very large numbers of them roosting.

Joeseph Balls

Yea I actually came across them tiles and stuff but the biggest problem I'm facing is finding their access. As it's an old rough, there is probably plenty of gaps for them.
They have roosted at both ends of the house so it could be anywhere