How I Saved the Mysterious Creature that Flew Into My Windshield

I have had the strangest week so it is quite fitting to have it all end with a bat crashing into my windshield. What are the odds? Probably pretty low because in all my years of driving I have never hit a bat or in this case had a bat hit me.

Let me start at the beginning. I was head home at what would be considered dusk. Most of the roads I travel are wooded requiring you to keep an eye out for the wildlife. Deer, turtles, foxes, the occasional turkey, possibly owls and the ever so rare bear can all be something I encounter on a ride my ride home. Until tonight other than a few crazed squirrels or daredevil chipmunks I have been lucky not to hit any animal with my car.

Tonight that record ended and took a strange twist. I was driving up my road about 100 yards from my driveway and BAM something slams into my windshield like a shot fired from a gun. All I saw was a brown ball and then it was gone, I was on the phone at the time with my husband, I yelled "hey something just hit my windshield" as I slammed on the brakes. His response was you probably hit a bat.

A bat, really. I couldn't tell, I thought I saw something fall in front of my wipers but it looked like a leaf. I decide to back up to see if something was in the road and saw nothing. After sitting there for a moment I decided to drive to the house.

I was hesitant to get out of the car at first but I knew I had to check the front of my car. I was thinking how awful it would be to kill a bat we need them. Then I got a bit superstitious, what does it mean if you hit a bat or worse kill a bat?

I mustered up the nerve to get out of the car and look at the gully on the car hood where the windshield wipers sit and there he was the cutest little brown creature laying lifeless on my car. I stood there thinking that sucks I killed a bat. Then I thought hold on what if he isn't dead? That made me a bit sad because who do you call for bat rehab?

So now what? I can't touch him and I don't even know if he is dead. So how do you touch a bat? Here is where everyone who knows me laughs, of course, I got a broom. (Insert Bad Witch joke Here)

I took the broom, reach across the windshield and nudged him with a few bristles. At first, nothing happened so I began to think he was dead. After all, he hit the windshield with a giant smack. I nudged him again to get his little body out from under the wiper blade. That was the moment he moved. I nudge him a third time to help him crawl out from the hood well near the window.

Next thing I knew he was flat on his back on the hood with both wings spread. He suddenly went from small and helpless to big and moving. His wingspan must have been about 12 inches. Just as I began to process what do I do if he is injured he flipped over and flew away.

I caught my breath and thought I have really had the strangest week.