How many species of bats in the UK??

Wednesday 21^st July was an opportunity for residents to gather at Christ Church to listen to bat expert, Jess Eyre, for an informative introduction to bats & bat detecting, and 25 folk did just that. It was a very interesting talk organised by the Wild About Lothersdale group, which developed into a question-and-answer session.

The group was issued with bat detectors, some being on loan from Alison Silver, and also from Jess.  This helped everyone detect when a bat was nearby and also with the identification of the bats that were flying around the church.

We were blessed with views and heard noctule, common and soprano pipistrelle bats flying around the church in search of their evening feed.  The group had great fun hearing the bats and then seeing and being able to identify them.The bat detecting was briefly interrupted with superb views of a barn owl also out hunting for supper.

After the success from the church sightings the group then moved on to High Dam in search of Daubenton’s bats which hawk over water. However, the water started to fall from the sky which interferes with detecting and bat flying and we had no luck.

Everyone in the group went away with far more knowledge on bats and to answer the question – there are 18 species of bats in the UK but only 17 species actually breed here.

So, look out in your garden 10 minutes after sunset to watch bats flying.  Thank you to all who made the evening possible.

Peter Cleal