Creature feature

Bats are a part of life here, and with the young podding, the odd one or two fall from the rafters or get left behind by mum, hopefully (doubtfully) temporarily. They drop from the gap above the Aga into the kitchen where the warmth lulls them stupid, or their mothers fly into the bedroom, just missing the bat entrance to the roof by inches. I have seen three youngsters in varying stages of development in the past fortnight. They are strange creatures, truly prehistoric in their ugliness and fascinating in their otherness. I think this is a young pipistrelle, no more than an inch long, completely bald and clinging to the green oak cladding of the outdoor stairs, awaiting mammary satisfaction and a furry back to climb on. I hope this bat baby finds what it's looking for.