September driving me Batty!

A quiet morning on the whole with six Common Snipe being the highlight being flushed from the limestone pavements. A strange call heard independently by two observers sounded like a possible Common Rosefinch - certainly one to look out for amongst the Linnets and Greenfinches on the headland at the moment. 10+ Wheatear and small groups of Meadow Pipits still moving through. Goldcrests are also pickeing up with eight birds today - nearly as many as were seen for the whole of last autumn!

This evening an amazing 'flock' of 15+ Noctule Bats http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/Common_Noctule were near Craigside, commuting between Bodafon fields and the Little Orme. These truly impressive 'giant' bats seemed to be feeding on flying ants which had attracted hundreds of gulls to these fields earlier in the day. The spectacle started at around 8pm and the bats were still present, sometimes just yards overhead, at 8.30pm when they had been joined by a few Pipistrelle Bats. Worth a look at the same time tomorrow, especially as the Space Station pases over head at this time and can clearly be seen from this spot.