Bats over the Wye

The sunshine yesterday afternoon tempted me out to give Islay a really long walk by the river, along the Offa's Dyke path. Among the trees, there were golden celandines and white wood anenomes everywhere, with the odd sprinkling of purple violets, and leaf buds opening everywhere. As I got to the fields, I could hear larks singing, and I watched a couple of long-tailed tits in a tree by the river.
In winter, I often have the path to myself for the whole walk, but yesterday there were families with small children down on the pebble beach by the river, other dog walkers, and the proper walkers, with proper boots, and maps. Visitors are starting to arrive in Hay now, and there are a lot of walkers and cyclists among them.
There was something flying low, to and fro over the river. At first, I thought it was a swift, but it's still early for them. When I got closer, I saw the round furry body, and realised it was a bat, out in broad daylight, quite happily hawking for insects over a narrow stretch of river. I've never seen a bat out in full daylight before, and it was a big one, too.