Posts tonen met het label animals. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label animals. Alle posts tonen

dinsdag 27 mei 2025

Bats Rock


Sometimes Bats are associated with evil events.

Or people are scared for whatever reason. 

Perhaps they think a bat might get tangled up in your hair... NOT!

So don't be scared and appreciate them.

They're catching insects ands bugs.



Like humans bats are mammals.

They're the only mammals that can fly.

Bats are nocturnal animals and sleep during the day.

Perhaps that's one of the reason to think they're creepy.

The Dracula story might add to that (smile).



Bats are wonderful, useful and vulnerable creatures.


Threatened by natural enemies, disappearing habitats and ignorant or violent people.



Local (Limburg's) Bat expert Ghis Palmans, here unlocking a winter stay of the bats,
is training and coaching the kenderman and the youngest volunteer of the local team
 to identify and count bats in the wintertime, during hibernation.


It's difficult to find new volunteers willing to put in some effort.
Bats are 'cool'. The more you get to know about them the cooler they get.
Given time you can become a valued and dedicated volunteer or even an expert.
 Perhaps you are interested to help out? Then contact your local nature organisation.


Tips:
Don't disturb them, keep you're distance, don't touch them.


Even during hibernation bats can be very sensitive to:
            • light don't use bright (flash)light
            • sound don't talk when they are near, just whisper
            • smell you're breath or deodorant can wake them

Please leave them alone.
 Let them be and respect their need for a quiet and undisturbed environment.

Just enjoy the short encounter!



Would you like some to find more information, links and video's:

In English: Bat

Link to my earlier post: BaT Habits

(PS the photos from bats were taken for education purposes only)

maandag 29 mei 2023

In The Distance



While cycling and exploring the neighbourhood, 
from the distance, we could hear a braying donkey.
So we just had to go for a visit...





and finally the females and foals arrived...





Here some links to earlier posts and photo's of loverly donkeys:


woensdag 24 mei 2023

BaT Habits

Project X

Yesterday we revisited a location for bats. In september we found it.

A friend read in the newspaper about this big renovation project X.
The roof of the heritage building would get renovated so the municipality
was informed there might be swifts and bats living under the eaves and roof.
They responded well, informed the architect and invited the expert and my friend
(who asked me to come) to join the site meeting and advise them how to proceed.


Our first search at the attic... 


... and we found a colony of 34 long-eared bats!

The expert asked us to visit local project Y



Project Y

Project Y is a very special site, already an almost perfect place for bats.
But a long process as it comes to official status and adjustments of the buildings.
The buildings need to be closed off so the bats won't be disturbed or harmed.
We did came across a few flattened bats against the wall.

A photo from a hibernating bat we found in December.

If you want to photograph a hibernating bat, do it quickly!
You don't want to disturb the hibernation.
Some species are really sensitive to light and smell.
Don't forget bats are a protected species!

At this location we found several species. This is one of the buildings of
project Y we will visit several times a year to observe and count the bats.
The expert started teaching me different characteristics to some species,
and I turned out to be an excellent pupil.... (big smile) NOT!
It dazzled me and it became clear it would take a lot more practice and effort.  



Inventory Z

In February we helped inventorize bats in the caves ('mergelgrotten') of Riemst.
With lots of volunteers, devided into small groups,
each of them being responsible for a few sections,
we searched the caves for hours.

The kenderman and me were assigned to the group of 'our' expert
because he has been teaching me to identify the different species.
We were lucky to see a Greater mouse-eared bat (info in Dutch Vale vleermuis)
Impressive to see the biggest bat on the European mainland for real.

We didn't take any photo's, we didn't want to disturb them.
The main goal was an exact counting and to determine the species.
No less than 1500 bats and several species were counted ★
 

---------------------------------------

Project X - Part 2 

Time has passed and now there's the follow-up on the first project, project X
The bats are really lively now and at this time of year they will give birth soon.
The colony is a group of females and it's uncommon for males to be part of it.

A colony of long-eared bats at the attic...


We're not sure yet what type of long-eared bats we're dealing with since there are two types:
The brown one has a pink to light brown nose, the grey one has a darker nose / mask,
but the form of the nose tip will give us a definitive answer.
We assume it's the grey long-eared bat but the photo's aren't good enough to be sure, yet.

Update: It's the brown long-eared bat!

donderdag 23 maart 2023

Amphibians migration

Slowly the migration of amphibians like toads and salamanders comes to an end.


(female Alpine newt or in Dutch Alpenwatersalamander)

Volunteers have been helping the animals to cross the roads safely by putting up screens,
digging in some buckets and transporting them to the other side a couple of times a day.
Their help can't prevent road casualties completely but
it increases the amount of casualties seriously.
Sometimes I go there to give a helping hand.

You can find some information about the Alpine newt here : English , Dutch 
You can find some information about the migration of amphibians here: HYLA




I admire the commitment of the volunteers.
Going there for weeks in a row even several times a day!
Chapeau!!!! ★

zondag 24 september 2017

Search for the European Tree Frog


Today we went hiking with just one goal, finding tree frogs.
We never expected to find them on our first attempt
but nevertheless we wanted to give it a try!



Instinctively we chose the right overgrown path and direction
and suddenly we heard a sound (quite similar to a magpie) 
kèkkèkkèkkèkkèk and we realized we were close to some tree frogs.
But we couldn't see them until a amateur wild photographer
helped us and pointed them out.

 Can you find them?





  The kenderman spotted one: tree fogs do climb trees!

And I found this little one all by myself...

woensdag 16 augustus 2017

Zoo

Yesterday we really enjoyed our visit to Ouwehands Zoo.
You can meet some of the animals we saw here...







I was really glad when we came across a more "pettable" animal




Then it started pouring...

Pandasia


But rain can be okay!
Suddenly a giant panda, Wu Wen, stormed outside...


 One hell of a fierce panda!


After seeing 2 panda's indoors, a "rioting" panda outside, in the rain, was so welcome!

Xing Ya


 Wu Wen, completely knock out after eating bamboo