Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Bats

Ever since we moved here we've always had bats stop by at dusk for a few minutes during Spring and Summer. Yesterday evening I tried to capture the little fellows on video and made the following notes:

1. Using a 500m lens is a none starter, they are too fast to keep in the frame.

2. Using the tripod is useless because it stops at a certain angle and the bats often fly a few feet over my head.

3. Even set at 150mm, the big lens is too heavy when off the tripod, I'm sure the bats we laughing at me staggering about, can't hear ultrasonic giggling though so I couldn't be sure.

4. May induce motion sickness watching the playback.



I'll try again with the 200mm lens which is light as a feather and see if I can do a bit better.

Paul.

4 comments:

Joanne said...

We sometimes see them as we live near a wood.

It is difficult to see them by eye they are so fast so you did well with a camera well done.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I haven't seen a bat for a long time. I keep thinking about getting a bat house, but don't know if we have a good place for one.

Things like what you were seeing are always better in person, but it's fun to see what we can of it. Thanks!

Midmarsh John said...

After a lapse of a year I also have a regular bat visitor towards dusk.They used to come right in to the garden but there seem far fewer moths about these days so they don't stay so long in the same area as they used to.
I had heard that some moths can detect the bats sound. A few years ago I watched as a bat homed in on a large moth which, at the last moment, just dropped like a stone and the bat missed it.
Well done on the video. I was thinking of trying for some still shots the other night but left it too late.

tony.unwin said...

wow... last year we started to see bats in our garden... which came as a surprise living in the smoke as we do...