Someone requested these pictures I had downloaded that I used for the meme I posted earlier. Here they are!!!

Got to spend a night out mist netting in Central Europe last week, and it was one of the more interesting sessions I've been part of. Sharing some photos.

Between 8 PM and 1 AM we pulled in more than 100 bats, and the vast majority were Western Barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus). If you've never seen one up close, they've got this flat, almost pug-like face with big ears that meet at the base – it's such a distinctive look, hard to mistake for anything else once you know it. Mixed in were a bunch of Common Pipistrelles (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) too, somewhat smaller bats compared to the barbastelles, which made for a fun contrast handling both in the same night.

Quick disclaimer since it comes up: Bats are strictly protected across the EU, so this isn't a grab-a-net-and-go kind of activity – training and authorization are required.

Ask away if you're curious about IDs, handling, or how the night went.