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.
This sounds amazing and I can picture it so well from your description, thank you Wyatt. I can imagine this little bat gliding the thermals as peaceful as can be, and the pod of dolphins in the deep light.
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.
Wow! That's a pretty crazy/cool moment, glad you were able to stand still with bats flying around. It's not easy. My other bat story was when I gave tours at a tower house in Ireland. They would roost in there and sometimes swoop down the stairs over my head. I could never tell if I was imagining them, but I would always flinch in their shadows.
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.
This sounds amazing and I can picture it so well from your description, thank you Wyatt. I can imagine this little bat gliding the thermals as peaceful as can be, and the pod of dolphins in the deep light.
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.
Wow! That's a pretty crazy/cool moment, glad you were able to stand still with bats flying around. It's not easy. My other bat story was when I gave tours at a tower house in Ireland. They would roost in there and sometimes swoop down the stairs over my head. I could never tell if I was imagining them, but I would always flinch in their shadows.
BATS ARE THE BEST! That is all. They do sooo many amazing things. It is zany how we villainize some animals.
YES! <3