BATS IN MY BELFRY ? MAYBE NOT!

This may sound a little batty, but last Sunday (Feb. 20), I was enjoying the warm weather and taking the opportunity to work on the garden tiller.  Yes, T-shirt weather at the beginning of February.  Admittedly a little strange, but not at all batty.  Right?

While removing the engine from the tiller, I became a little distracted by a bird swooping and flapping nearby.  Still not batty enough?  Turns out it was not a bird at all.  It was a bat, fluttering about, tending to the business of catching mosquitoes and other flying bugs.

I normally see bats at my place a bit later in the spring.  Early to mid march is not unusual, but early February seems a bit strange.  It was a Red Bat, Lasiurus borealis.  These awesome little creatures migrate in in the spring and stay all summer before heading back south.  With climate change, the early appearance doesn't seem so much of a concern.  After all, I was outside wearing a T-shirt and the bat's food
source was abundantly present.

The thing that seems really strange to me is the time of day.  Though the Red Bat comes out earlier in the evening than most other bats, 3:00 in the afternoon, on a bright, partly cloudy day is really out of character.  Nonetheless, I watched this little character flapping and swooping for its prey for quite a while, and even managed to get pictures.  I continued to notice the flight and feeding through the afternoon until it finally became to dark for me to see.

Yes, it was a batty afternoon.  No belfry required!