Amazing and rather beautiful bats

I know some people are scared of bats, for many reasons, but once you start finding out about them they are amazing creatures......for instance, they weigh approximately the same as a £1 coin and yet even the little Pippestrelle bat can eat 3000 insects a night.  That's quite a feat....

 

Quick watercolour of Pippestrelle bat

 

 

There are 8 different species of bat in the UK, although not all of them are breeding here yet and the Pippestrelle must be the most common but here are some sketches of other types you might be lucky enough to see.

 

 

    Brown long eared bat, graphite sketch

 

(Barbastella barbastellus]

 

               The Barbastelle bat, graphite sketch

 

 

This one is a bit more scary but it has been seen on Holme Fen so if you get a chance to go there next summer at dusk on one of those balmy evenings that can sometimes happen, you might  you just see it....if you're quick!

 

I'm still working on that print so look out for it next time....... 

 

 

A final image of the silver birches to be found in Holme Fen Woodland, which is the largest silver birch wood to be found in lowland Britain......