Love the description of bats like electrons, that's so apt. Reminds me of seeing little particles in a cloud chamber.
Through quarantine, the place I've been going to for nature is Fort Funston at the southernmost end of San Francisco's coast. There are cliffs pretty high up from the beach where you can see many tens of miles out over the ocean, and catch some cool sunsets.
When the sky gets dark enough for the birds to stop hunting, but not dark enough for the bats to come out, you can see all kinds of bugs roaming everywhere. It's like they know they have this little window of safety.
Soon after the sun sets, bats come out from everywhere and hunt. It's really fun to watch. They fly so differently from birds, although one time I saw a bat cruise along the thermals generated by the cliffs like it was a sea bird.
Funny enough, I can occasionally also spot dolphins from the same spot. They're usually gone before the sun sets, but once I saw a pod silhouetted by a very low dusk sun: was really striking.
The only time I’ve encountered bats was in Italy. I was in the pool as the sun was setting. All my friends had left and I was alone, half-in and half-out of the water when a bat swooped past me and scared the hell out of me. More followed but I realized they weren’t going to run into me so I kind of just stood there and let it happen for a bit. One of the more surreal memories from my life.
Love the description of bats like electrons, that's so apt. Reminds me of seeing little particles in a cloud chamber.
Through quarantine, the place I've been going to for nature is Fort Funston at the southernmost end of San Francisco's coast. There are cliffs pretty high up from the beach where you can see many tens of miles out over the ocean, and catch some cool sunsets.
When the sky gets dark enough for the birds to stop hunting, but not dark enough for the bats to come out, you can see all kinds of bugs roaming everywhere. It's like they know they have this little window of safety.
Soon after the sun sets, bats come out from everywhere and hunt. It's really fun to watch. They fly so differently from birds, although one time I saw a bat cruise along the thermals generated by the cliffs like it was a sea bird.
Funny enough, I can occasionally also spot dolphins from the same spot. They're usually gone before the sun sets, but once I saw a pod silhouetted by a very low dusk sun: was really striking.
The only time I’ve encountered bats was in Italy. I was in the pool as the sun was setting. All my friends had left and I was alone, half-in and half-out of the water when a bat swooped past me and scared the hell out of me. More followed but I realized they weren’t going to run into me so I kind of just stood there and let it happen for a bit. One of the more surreal memories from my life.
BATS ARE THE BEST! That is all. They do sooo many amazing things. It is zany how we villainize some animals.