We have a smallish field nearby enclosed by bushes and trees, well away from the road and it has a pond at one end. We call it The Meadow. Last year Fox had four cubs in the bramble thicket and the Roe Deer had twins in the shady wooded side. In the summer it was alive with butterflies and crickets. The Pheasants mooch happily amongst the tufted grass and Ducks and Moorhens swim on the pond. Greater Spotted Woodpeckers had their babies there and last night we saw Pippa Pipistrelle flying at dusk.
It was quite a surprise to see Pippa as she usually hibernates until March or the warmer weather. Although after last winter when the very cold weather started much earlier than usual, she may have gone into hibernation sooner and would now have little fat left to live off. She may have left the roost to find food and a drink of water. If it turns cold again, bats can become torpid (cool and inactive) - so it may not be a sure sign that winter is over. But Mum said that a huge Bumblebee landed on Kizzie's dressing gown that was drying on the washing line yesterday too. Now that seems early! Gordon
It was quite a surprise to see Pippa as she usually hibernates until March or the warmer weather. Although after last winter when the very cold weather started much earlier than usual, she may have gone into hibernation sooner and would now have little fat left to live off. She may have left the roost to find food and a drink of water. If it turns cold again, bats can become torpid (cool and inactive) - so it may not be a sure sign that winter is over. But Mum said that a huge Bumblebee landed on Kizzie's dressing gown that was drying on the washing line yesterday too. Now that seems early! Gordon