Feeling Batty

Way back when we first got on island, during our first week here, we discovered that Okinawa has bats.  Not just cute little fruit bats, but massive flying fortresses with wing spans of three or more feet (maybe I exaggerate just a little, but only a little!)

Once we got used to the sight, it's been my quest to photograph one of these bats (and I don't mean at the zoo).  It's kind of hard to get a good shot of a bat because usually they fly by and are gone before you can say "bat!" and definitely before you can grab your camera.  Obstacle two is that they come out at night, duh, and cameras don't work so well at night.  Third obstacle, even if you can find one hanging in a tree, they are usually at the top of the tree and too far away for a good shot.

The usual bat shot...

But today was the day!  Kelly came home around 6:00 and told me about a baby bat she found by the side of the road.  It appears to have been injured, maybe in the typhoon, and so is not flying away.  She promptly led me to the creek where we found it hanging upside down on a root by the side of the ditch.  Bats are cute little fellas!  We were able to get some really good shots, especially Kelly who got down into the ditch.

What a cutie!

I guess he was feeling a little camera shy and covered his face!

He was grooming himself - look I caught his tongue out!

And then, as if that weren't enough, when I was cleaning up the dinner dishes, I look out my kitchen window to see a bat hanging in what is left of my banana trees in front of the window!  This was of the grown up variety, not a baby bat, but still quite cute.  I grabbed my camera and snapped these two photos before he flew off.  I guess you could say I'm feeling quite "batty" tonight!

Note my poor, shredded banana leaf...

Can you see his claw?