The thing that i thought was a bat actually isn't a bat - it's a bird. Like a cross between a small hawk and an owl. I got a pretty close look at one tonight - they usually come out on dusk and stay active for an hour or so after dark. They have a high pitched, single note call, which made me think it was a bat. Now that i have seen one at close range at night, i realize that i have seen them during the day as well. They have a kind of eratic style of flying and usually stay close to the ground and won't fly far if disturbed during the day time, but at night they are our patrolling the airways, presumably looking for insects. Their color is grey, black and white. I assume they are permanent residents, but they only seem to make the call at certain times of the year. Anyway, they are out in full force tonight.