Yesterday I told myself I'd take a break from bat care. Have now just agreed to go and pick up a baby bat!
It is a little stressful sometimes but I'd be more stressed knowing there's a bat that needs help
Had a big big drink of milk and a big stretch. Will try and get this one reunited to mum tomorrow. Think it just went for a bit of a wander and got lost! After all, mum will be the best flight teacher of all

He looks like he should start weaning any time now, so I'm going to add some mashed up mealworm (
) in with his food tomorrow.

His tiny little full tum is... so cute
got back from my survey this eve to him scampering around the tank, which is a good sign!

I should've weighed him when he came in really, but I was a bit more concentrating on getting him fed! He's still got a lot of mites, but the good thing is they often wander onto my glove so I can squash them. That can't help him having that lot taking his blood!
Wandering around the hand
He had a wee in the previous video I tried to take

Hm. Set him up, waited, (retrieved him from the floor), waited some more (retrieved him from some ivy he fluttered over to and then scampered up!
). Couple of common pips appeared, showed just a passing interest in him.

I had ID'd him as a soprano pipistrelle (I mean, I could be wrong, I'll have another look at him tomorrow) and didn't hear any sopranos, just commons. So guess something has happened to mum or the roost has moved

He's not too far off being able to fly, to be honest. Maybe a week or two? So I'll strengthen him up and release him when he can fly and he may be able to find the roost himself.
Positive news is that 3 kids and 2 adults got to see a bat 'properly' (I.e. not just whizzing around) for the first time, and all commented on how cute he was. One little girl kept shushing her mum 'shh, we don't want to frighten him!'
He's started biting the milk syringe which is a good sign they're ready to move onto more solid food. Here's Bryn enjoying his first mealworm insides.
He will just eat the insides for now (I kill the mealworm and then squeeze them out, slightly gross I know, but it's what the bats like!). He will slowly start munching at the exoskeleton as well as he has more.
He's trying very hard to chew off bits of exoskeleton but his jaw isn't strong enough yet! If I hold the other end he pulls it like a tug of war

He did not want milk this evening
baby is all growing up

He is a voraciously hungry little boy! Won't be long until he's chomping down the whole mealworm. He's also exceedingly sweet and gentle. Not a single protest or squirm from him when I cleaned around his mouth when he'd finished eating.
Bryn weighs a whopping 3 grams today! He was 2.6g on Thursday!

Bryn:
No exercise
Only roost
No exercise

Only roost

When you see an animal do a big stretch, you have to comment on the big stretch. Sorry I don't make the rules
Worm Time
Settling down in the hand cave for a warm after his evening feed

Got a photo of the internarial ridge (bump between the nostrils) on him that helps ID him as a soprano pipistrelle
Finished his dinner, warm hand cave time

The way he tucks his little foot in at the very end

me: I'm a proper scientist and ecologist
also me: omg look at the baby bat I can't

also me: omg look at the baby bat I can't



He's started eating whole mini-mealworms

No more squeezing the guts out for me

Settling down after lunch
Don't you think it's about time you started to think about flying?
No, he says. I'm actually fine just lying here, thanks
No, he says. I'm actually fine just lying here, thanks
Exercise time
They chatted to each other from a safe distance
Babies always tend to get on with each other well but I wouldn't trust an adult male around a juvenile, so no, they're not going to be properly introduced, before anyone asks!
A momentous day! He's learned how to feed himself!