The Barn Swallows Depart

Does it take barn swallows departure to make me notice the bats?

For months now, the swallows' swooping flights were part of the landscape. When they fly south in August, the yard seems empty and lonely.

That's when I also notice the bats in the twilight.

Had they been there all summer? When the swallows were here, had they waited until hard dark to come out? Or, with shortening days, am I spending more time outside in the darkness?

As I walk in the darkness, admiring the bats and feeling a little uneasy, I wonder if this is how the cats feel when the swallows are here and swooping near them.