WHILST enjoying an hour or two fishing on the canal near Kildwick last week I saw the obligatory ducks, a visit by a lone swan, a mink swimming along the far bank, the flash of blue as a kingfisher flew past, three buzzards circling and crying in the distance and then something which was a total surprise. There was something flying low over the water and dipping down on occasion.

At first I thought it was a large dragonfly but as it flew past I could see it was bat.

The time was 10.30am on a bright sunny day. Luckily others walking past saw this and agreed it was a bat.

Once home investigations led me to believe it was a Daubenton’s bat, sometimes known as the water bat.

I was wondering whether other readers have ever seen this or any other bat fly out and about during bright sunlight.

Nigel Singleton

Kildwick