Bats at Yolo Bypass and a very very very fast visitor .. #NikonD500, #Bats #YoloBypass #PeregrineFalcon

Went out to see the bats of Yolo Bypass tonight and was not disappointed.  

Got to the entrance around 7:45 and since this was 45 minutes before sunset and the bats were supposed to come out around sunset I went into the park for a few minutes to tool around.

Got a few pics of flowers, birds and Sacramento









And then headed back out b/c they lock the gate at sunset. I parked on the levee outside the gate and got out my camera gear and set up awaiting the bats. The bats came out just after the sun went down. A person there said that yesterday they came out 10 minutes before sunset.

And they streamed out ... and it was awesome to behold.

But then came the even more awesome stuff ...

A shadow of a thought.  

It was a peregrine.  I did not get great pics but got some OK ones (my lens is not good in low light).  And it did catch and eat a few bats on the wing.  And then headed off.

And then it headed out and the bats came back.

Bat tour at Yolo Basin Wetlands

Did our second evening bat tour at the local Yolo Basin Wetlands last night.  It was very nice.  They start off with a lecture and bat introduction at the Visitor Center and then a convoy heading out to the wetlands and drove way way into the back (the side near Sacramento) to just next to the causeway.  Then we waited until sunset and out came the bats.  Thousands and thousands of them.  It was cool.  Here are some videos and pics.  And also some responses to my Tweets about it.