As we put out the flying bat tonight to greet our trick-or-treaters I am reminded of trick I played on a couple of friends when we first got the bat. I took the photos below and e-mailed them to my friends with a message that said we have this unusual bat flying around our yard!
We e-mailed each other for about an hour and I relayed field-marking descriptions and behavior observations. At one point, I realized that my friend Mike was pouring through his field guides to try to identify the bat. Yikes - he fell for the trick! I egged him on for a little while more and then finally told him that it was not a real bat but a battery operated flying bat. We had a good laugh and it is a fond Halloween memory for me to reflect on as I decorate the homestead.
Happy Halloween!
