Part of Murphy Canyon Creek goes through a tunnel before emerging at the bike path by Qualcomm Stadium. That’s where the bats live.
Last night I got there just after dusk and the bats were out en masse, streaming out of the tunnel and all around the bike path. As my headlight revealed brief glimpses of little mammals on the wing, I made some trilling sounds to announce my presence and scooted through the swarm. I don’t know if it made a difference but this time I didn’t hit any.
Perhaps I should add a rabies shot to my bike bag.
Do you remember watching the bats swarm out of Carlsbad Cavern?
I sure do! My bat swarm was nothing compared to that, but any size swarm feels pretty big when you’re in the midst of it.
Can you hear them? Can you feel a breeze when they fly by you? Can you smell them? I’m curious because I have never been that close to a bat swarm. We have solitary bats here in Brentwood, and one that has been hanging out under the eve of our next door neighbor’s house, but never more than one at a time. What you are experiencing is incredible.
There definitely is a smell coming out from the tunnel. It’s hard to describe, sort of like fertilizer but not like cow manure. It smells thick. I didn’t think anything of it until I saw the bats and then put 2 and 2 together. The smell is faint in the morning but much more present when they’re swarming.
I didn’t really hear or feel anything. The whole experience is surreal: it’s very quiet but there is so much activity. Unfortunately I didn’t spend too much time to take it all in but next time I think I’ll stop and get a better look.