On Tuesday morning Pophammy and I found a baby bat under the eaves bit where the bats who live in our house go in. To our surprise it was still alive so we picked it up and put it in the ivy in the hope it would fly back up. As it was still there at night we put it higher so mum might find it and take it back home however yesterday morning it was still there and soaking wet so we took it in and dried it. We took it to the vet who checked it and found it fine so we had to take it back home. We knew its only chance was to get it back into the roost where its mum was so last night, and a trillion thanks to my husband ( BigD) and daughter (Pophammy) who helped me get an enormous ladder and I climbed up with Mr Flap
in a bag round my neck. Wearing rubber gloves I put him into the entrance of the roost. At first he tried to crawl back down the wall but then I turned him and he crept through the slit under the eaves. There was an enormous squawking and chirping so I guess they are still in there and I really hope he is now reunited with his mum. I have done my very best for him so its up to him now. I feel very good that he is back now and very brave since I really dont like climbing that high! I really hope he has a chance to make it now!
It is still absolutely pouring down with rain here so it looks like another night when our bats will have trouble feeding. Well the rain went off for a bit and we counted 57 bats leaving Mr Flaps hole under the eaves so he did have company! If there are 57 mums there may be another 57 babies up there I guess. It is quite down since our last count about 4 weeks ago when there were 86 left. I am sure they left for a few weeks and have just come back in the last few days as they are noisy again and they were quiet for weeks. Maybe the mother dropped him when they were moved.
He has not reappeared today so fingers crossed. I spoke to the Yorkshire batwoman and our local bat person could not have made it last night so I am really glad I did it myself
So Mr Flap has quite a tale to tell the others....He survived 1. A 25ft drop on to concrete. 2. A day in a box in the ivy. 3. Overnight in an open box getting soaking wet 4. In the car on the school run. 5. Examination by the vet then water from a dropper and half a day at the vets with barking dogs. 6. half a day by the aga in an ice cream tub. 7. Up a ladder in a handbag and as my husband put it 'stuffed back under the eves ;D
Really amazingly resilient creatures.
I would only climb that ladder for an animal. Just dont look down! And the thing had the audacity to squawk vey loudly at me in protest
We have been told it has been a terrible year for the poor little bats as the rain has meant the mothers have been unable to feed properly to feed the babies and we are in the worst area here in yorkshire
I took a couple of quick pics. We think he is a pipestrelle
Bat rescue
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