Okay – no vampire jokes please…

On my early morning ride today I collided with a bat!

I saw it swooping down, and it tried to suck my thumb, but my speed resulted in me giving it a knock with the tip of my forward-facing thumb. I was wearing gloves, so I didn’t lose any blood!

I seem to remember being told that a bat will never fly into anything. Is this true, or are my bald Dad’s fears of a bat getting tangled in his hair well-founded? Perhaps my flailing feet, squeaky chain, or rattling lungs confused it… Or perhaps my thumb smells like an insect…

don’t post this thread title on a Jamaican music forum.

8)

I was hoping it would be Emily, but anyway on a night ride a bat once flew into my arm, I felt its claws on my skin. I like watching bats but dont really want to feel their claws on my skin again.

Had it riding home from work one winter’s night. Flew into my chest and continued to flap about wildly before managing to get free. Remarkably, I didn’t panic.

Bats aren’t infallible, who knows, looking for a temporary roost? Momentary echo-location issues? The flying into hair thing is an old wives tale, in fact my gran and aunt (obviously passed down one to other ) were quite certain of this eventuality. Not to say it hasn’t ever happened. But I’ve seen a fox on a trampoline, and a sheep down a well.

I’ve had bats swoop past my shoulder and catch moths flying in the beam from my lights. Was a bit of a surprise the first couple of times.

have to ride through an old railway tunnel to get to the local woods so see them all the time.

owls swooping into your light beam makes you jump a little more.

Bats like small child hands, fact. I deduce from this you have tiny girly child hands.

No denying it, bats never lie.

I once hosted a trip out into the Surrey Hills for some work colleagues and on the way down Wolven’s Lane on Leith at a fair clip, a squirrel decided to jump onto the back of one of the riders (completely freaking her out) and jump off a few trees further on, almost as though it just wanted a lift…

I seem to remember being told that a bat will never fly into anything

I’ve taken a bat to the face on two occasions while out riding, so either not true, or the ones round here are on a path down a genetic cul-de-sac.

On a related note, I also had a baby owl land on my head at about 2am while sleeping under a tree at Moutain Mayhem many years ago, most surreal experience ever as it then hopped off and sat next to me for a minute or so, I’m not sure who was more confused…

I have this issue. Someone on here had a good explanation. Something like this:

Bat hunt with sonar and normal audible range sound. Their main prey is a type of moth. This moth has now cottoned onto the sonar pings and on hearing them stop flying and drop to the ground. The bats have cottoned onto this and sometimes fly with the sonar off, and just listen for the sound of the moths dropping. They already have all the fixed objects in their area logged to memory, so don’t need the sonar to just fly around. So whilst passing through a bat hunting area, you may well get hit!

Bats, like swallows will establish a flight path circuit if they find a swarm of insects – you most likley won’t see the swarm – stands to reason if you cross their circuit at the wrong time you may get hit.
I used to have to deal with bats a lot when working in a hotel in the country, guests leaving their windows open and then come back from dinner to find a “bird” in their room. The bats would fly very close to you and then suddenly change direction, just like in those 50’s B movies about Vampires.

I think sandwicheater has answered the OP. 😀

I’ve colluded with a bat on a night ride – me riding, not the bat – so tbey are not infallible.

Love bat houses in zoos, always go in near a yummy mummy, when tbe bats fly too close the yummy mummys tend to squeal and grab the nearest human 8)

when tbe bats fly too close the yummy mummys tend to squeal and grab the nearest human

Hmmm, i wander if the same will work if i scare them letting out a loud fart……tis only one way to find out!!!

EDIT: it does not work.

I’ve colluded with a bat

Are you Dr Dolittle?

Oops!

Yes, I’ve colluded with the bats at the zoo so they scare the yummy mummys for me. It all makes sense if you read the whole post!

This is as close as I’ve come….

[url=https://flic.kr/p/cQ5QHL]Emily Batty, Canada, 24th Place Women's Olympic Mountain Bike Race 2021[/url] by brf, on Flickr

Bats aren’t infallible

Is my quote of the day.

😀

I was at a bat night the other week and most of them were very good at avoiding the bat nets. It was great to hear them on the bat detectors though.

The flying into hair thing is an old wives tale, in fact my gran and aunt (obviously passed down one to other ) were quite certain of this eventuality.

Mmmmm… I’ve seen it happen. When I was a lad my mum got one caught in her (late 80’s big) hair whilst we were walking down a quiet road in Corfu. Remember it distinctly because she was fairly shaken up, but I was mostly worried about hurting it as we tried to untangle it. 😀

Also..

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xJtH6UcQY[/video]

Great stuff! I’ve learned a lot from this thread!

A few years back a fox trotted alongside me on this same road whilst grinning at me! I regularly see deer, rabbits, pheasants and buzzards on the same stretch, and on occasion have had to take evasive action.

Now I’ll also have to duck whenever I see a bat – or stuff sausages into my gloves to make my hands appear larger…

hhhmmm…….Batty Riders.

And for the first time in years, we’ve had bats circling the house tonight, looked fantastic