Summer is drawing to an end the leaves are slowly turning from their fresh green into cosy orange. But I am not yet done with summer I want at least one more slow evening filled with twilight and bat acrobatics.
So, my other half and I decided the other day to soak up as much of the summer sunshine as we could. We grabbed some of our homebrewed wine and lay on the grass with the bottle between us. We lay there soaking up the warm sun on our faces and chatting about our plans for the future.
Then, as the sun was slowly setting, creating a gorgeous colour display in the sky, twilight began. We noticed some somersaulting bats come out to hunt for their tiny flying snacks. At first, you would only see one or two, but pretty quickly, there were dozens of bats whirling through the sky. The little creatures would make loops that not even the most acrobatic pilot would be able to copy. And just when you would think one of the poor bats might crash into a tree, the bat would make a lightning speed turn so sharp, that had I not been following it with my eyes, I would have sworn it was a different one altogether. This aerial acrobatic show that they were putting up was possibly one of the best ones I’ve seen all year.
As I was laying there, it made me think that this feeling of inner peace was for a large part generated by these little creatures that so many people in society view with suspicion or even fear or disgust. But maybe more people would see them as the marvellous little acrobats that they are if more of us would take a moment to lie down in the grass and look up at the bat-filled sky. Maybe all that we need to not feel so rushed through life is to take that one evening and watch the aerial acrobatics of these little fascinating creatures.
Would you like to attract a bat or two to your garden?
- Create a birdbath. Not only do birds enjoy a source of water, but bats also need enough water on their nightly expeditions.
- Get a bat box, or even better make a bat box yourself with some rough wood. Paint it black and put it in a nice warm sunny spot. Maybe also hang a welcome sign out.
- Have some solar-powered lights in your garden. Not only can it create a magical garden feel but it can also attract insects that will in turn attract bats.
- Keep your garden organic and toxin-free, because bats just like bees and other wildlife prefer a healthy living environment.
Tonight go and grab your favourite beverage and get comfy, watch the sun setting, bats flying and the stars slowly appearing and welcome the magic of the summer’s night. And if you do spot some nightly creatures be sure to let me know down in the comments, cause I love knowing about all the different nocturnal creatures.
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