Bat Watching

Bat watching is something myself and the small boy love to do - during late summer and early autumn is a great time for seeing bats, we pick a dry day and snuggle up in the garden at dusk with hot chocolate and just wait, it's never long before they start to circle the houses and swoop down into the gardens.

It's a lovely way to spend quiet time with kids, relaxing and interesting, and because it's dark and we're snuggling up with hot chocolate, it always feels just a little bit magical too.

There's lots of ways to encourage bats to the garden, even in cities and suburbs, they're not just a countryside dweller. Simple changes to the garden can encourage bats and other wildlife to hang around and spend time in your little space.

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Tips for a wildlife friendly garden

My best tip is - let things grow a bit wild, don't be too neat, have areas of longer grass with wildflowers and generally be a bit of a lazy gardener - this will encourage bugs, frogs, toads, hedgehogs, birds, bees, butterflies and bats.
Try to include a small pond - we love this make a mini pond tutorial from the RSPB, a great activity to do with kids and one that'll fit even in a small garden. There's loads of other nature activities over on the RSPB site too - well worth a look and working out how to incorporate a few where you can.
Try to include a few nature homes in your garden - bee hotel, bird boxes, bat boxes and bird tables all encourage wildlife.

If you don't have any bats around where you live there's loads of places that do bat walks - check out local council websites, often they arrange evenings in the parks and the National Trust organise bat walks at lots of places across the UK.

For all the bat information you'll ever need to know check out the Bat Conservation Trust website.

You might also just love our natural bird feeder