Going Batty

I took Action Dog for a walk out the back today.  I can hardly call it 'The Wood' anymore because we can't actually go into the wood, just skirt around it which is pretty duff mostly and really does not hold the same appeal.  Nevertheless I took her for her constitutional this afternoon.  I don't think she minds where she goes so long as she goes somewhere so it's only me that needs variety.

While we were out I spotted something small flying in an odd way.  It was flapping far too fast for any bird that size that I could think of.  When I got my bins on it I was amazed to see it was a bat!  Flying at quarter past one in the afternoon!  I could hardly believe what I was seeing.  I am used to seeing bats flying at dusk and once I realised what I was looking at the flight pattern was obvious, just unexpected.  It was obviously feeding, flying this way and that in a dashing manner.  I was fascinated to see one so well, usually its flashes of something dark in the gloom but this little fella was in broad daylight at 8.5x  in my bins.  I wasn't able to see any features on it but could see the shape of the wings well against the pale sky which you can never usually do at dusk.

It was a lovely encounter, I watched for about 15 minutes before moving off because although Action Dog had sat at my feet patiently all that time it was her walk after all so I thought we had better get moving.  I had a peep on the way back to see if it was still there but it had moved off by then to be replaced by a year-tick Little Egret.  Not a bad little afternoon's wander all in all!

This was the spot!