Bats in the Belfry....Hungarian holiday continued..May 2018.

Never dull on one of our photographic forays!

Yesterday we visited the ancient Cistercian church and monastery at Belapatfalva near where we are staying in the Bukk Hills... not to admire the view or say a few prayers but to climb up into the roof space to photograph bats.

We were led by Peta, one of Hungary’s top bat experts who gave us a detailed description of the roost and the species.

Later that evening we visited a forest pool with him and watched as he caught 4 different species in his mist nets as part of his ongoing research.

At the church we saw Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats, and at the forest we saw Whiskered, Brandts, Daubentons & Barbastelle.

The town of Belapatfalva is the site of the best preserved Romanesque church building in Hungary.

It was built after 1232 with the abbey being destroyed in the 16^th century, leaving only ruins.

Destruction of the abbey happened after invasions by the Mongolians and the Turks.