Bat House Forum

[marius]

Thanks, Terry! Will put that info in my vacation folder. I once went to Victoria simply to see Butchart Gardens. Makes sense to go to Mead Country, PA simply to see bats in bat houses that can be lowered. : )

[Emersombiguns]

Now that is just neat! Those shots are great. I am going up with a IR camera in a squirrel box. Have a plexiglass ceiling for the camera to look down thru -which is mounted from the hinged lid. That way the baby squirrels can't get to my camera. Using coax to power the camera from battery on ground. Looking at those pictures is giving me ideas. I sure like that plexiglass on outside-gives me ideas..Question does the clear plexiglass stay open to sunlight during day? Facing sun? Tell me more..I have another IR camera with audio, and thinking about using it on the bat houses to get IR video..Leave it to us ham operators to add a gadget! .Randy Haughton,La
PS great to see kids learning. Now to get my trick or treaters to look up as bats fly out of my houses in backyard and over house next week!!!

[Joe Spencer]

Marius,
I go out right before the bats exit at dusk , point my auto focus, 10x optical, stabilized, 12 megapixel Kodak up to the bat house and take photos using the flash. Some one on the forum posted some tips at one time. It may have been Dave Miller, but I cannot remember. The bats have tolerated my photo taking with a flash for years to the extent they don't leave. I get right under the bat house so the flash goes up into the baffles. My camera has a pretty good depth of focus so it shows the entire height of the baffles usually. Good luck, and congrats on your success with the bats.
I remember seing your post of the houses I think. I look so often and so much that I sometimes get people mixed up at my age.

Frank

Nice photos Frank and that is a good camera! Indeed it was both Erik and Dave who had tips and some great visual diagrams in the link below. Anytime I've attempted to photograph bats in bright light or sunlight there have been issues unless I made adjustments to the camera and angles etc. When the sun has set or the houses and area is shaded I've had my best results. Here is our good read thread on this which also explains the potential pros and cons for the bats as well on the timing of photographing them: photographing-bats-t634.html