Special Bat Edition
Thanks to Kelly Sheldrick and the BS3/4 Bat Group for this special edition on bats. If anyone else would like to write a special edition of Wildlife News focusing on your favourite animals or native plants or on the wilding of a local green space in Bristol, get in touch. Email: MyWildBedminster@virginmedia.com
___
Let’s kick it off with some interesting bat facts
- Bats are more closely related to humans than they are to mice.
- Bats account for more than a quarter of mammal species in the UK and around 20% of all mammal species worldwide.
- UK bats won’t bite you or suck your blood – but they will help clear the air of bloodsucking mosquitoes! Making them great pest controllers.
- Bats are the only true flying mammals in the world.
- UK bats are brilliant indicators for the wider health of the UK’s wildlife (so how could we not have a bat edition of this wildlife newsletter?)
- Bats are not blind, in fact bats have quite good eyesight.
What bats are around BS3?
There are 17 resident species of bat in the UK with 6 of those being recorded in the BS3 area. These records are from the NBN Atlas,which is the largest collection of biodiversity records in the UK – definitely worth checking out if you want to see what wildlife has been found around your area.
These 6 bat species include:
Common Pipistrelles – the most common species of bat found in BS3 and also the UK’s smallest bat. A Common Pipistrelle is so small it can fit into a matchstick box and weighs no more than a pound coin. Although small, Common Pipstrelles can eat up to 3,000 insects in a night – now who needs the bug spray when they have a couple of local bats foraging in their garden?
Soprano Pipistrelles – only slightly bigger than the Common Pip, the Soprano and Common Pipistrelles was once thought to be the same species and was only separated in 1999.
There is also a third Pipistrelle found in the UK, the Nathusius’ Pipistrelle. Although we don’t have any NBN Atlas records of them being in BS3, they can be found in the region.
Bechstein’s Bat – a rare bat restricted to ancient woodlands in the south of England, so having a couple of records of this bat in BS3 is truly remarkable. These records date back to the early 1990s and one record explains that the bat was found grounded (potentially injured) outside a cycle shop and that it was the first recorded Bechstein’s bat in Avon!
Noctules – the largest bat found in the UK, however still small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Whilst all UK bat species require a bat detector to hear their calls, some adults and children can hear Noctule call due to their low frequency.
Lesser Horseshoe – gets its name from its horseshoe shaped nose leaf! Still considered a small bat, but not quite as small as the Pipistrelles, the Lesser Horseshoe is about the size of a plum when the wings are folded. Another rare bat, restricted to Wales and South West England. You might also be surprised to learn that these small, rare bats can live up to 30 years old and can have up to 1 pup a year.
Serotine – another ‘big bat’ and one of the first to emerge at dusk. Serotines will eat large beetles on the wing, dropping the wing cases and legs as they go.
There have also been sightings/ bat detector recordings of Leisler’s, Greater Horseshoes and Brown Long Eared bats in the BS3 area. And, I’m confident we’d have even more species flying around.
What does the Bat Group do?
We are a newly formed local group of mostly beginner or novice bat enthusiasts! The objective of the group is to monitor and record bats in the local area and to promote positive bat awareness and conservation.
Like a lot of misunderstood animals, bats fall victim to lots of misinformation, rumours and bad press. And although law protects these important mammals, this misinformation can sometimes lead to unlawful persecution of bats, destruction of their roost and of their habitats.
Bats can’t speak for themselves, which is why bat and wildlife groups are so important – we’re the voice for these animals.
How can bats be better supported?
Wildlife friendly gardening for bats
Turn your garden into a haven for bats by planting pollinator friendly flowers, reducing artificial lighting or putting in a compost bin. All these small things can help support bats in your local area. This article on RHS gives some more ideas on how to make your garden bat friendly.
Bat boxes
Partly due to habitation loss, many species of bat roost in bat boxes. By having a bat box on your property you’ll encourage bats into your garden and the local area. There are lots of different options and things to consider when putting up a bat box by the Bat Conservation Trust have loads of information to help.
Cat owner?
Our feline friends are the biggest cause of bat injuries and deaths in the UK. It’s not their faults – they’re natural born hunters, but there are a couple of simple things we can do to help bats and cats coexist together.
1) Get some ‘noisy’ bling for your cat! A bell will help warn off bats, as well as birds.
2) Don’t let your cat out at dusk. This is when bats are most active and when the most cat-related bat injuries occur.
Property Repairs/ Re-roofing
Small bats love gaps behind fascia boards, underneath tiles, behind spalling render etc and sometimes our drive to improve things can block up access points to bat roosts. Not only is this not good for the bats, disturbing a bat roost is an offence with potentially severe penalties. If you are planning any work on your property it’s important to get informed and the Bat Conservation Trust has loads of information to help.
Of course we’re not saying don’t do property repairs, but just to do it in a way that has a minimal impact on the bats in the area.
Get out recording and reporting bats
Okay, so we’re coming up to the end of the bat season. But each year there are plenty of opportunities to get involved with your local bat group, wildlife groups or the National Bat Monitoring Programme. A lot of these offer free training and support and is a great way to meet likeminded people.
Why monitor and record bats? This is an important way to track population trends in bats, which as mentioned in the factoids is an important indicator for overall wildlife health. It also means we end up with amazing finds such as the record of the Bechstein’s in BS3.
Volunteer to help bats
There are loads of bat volunteering opportunities. From helping out with bat walks with your local bat group, to cleaning roost sites over winter, taking part in roost counts in summer or helping out on the Bat Rescue Helpline.
Earlier this year the Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) counted Greater Horseshoe bats emerging from their roost.
Get involved with a bat group
Bat groups usually have lots of talks, walks and events on throughout the year. Or if the group is smaller like ours, it’s a great way to find out about the local bats in your area and meet some local people while you’re at it.
Upcoming events:
Batfest, Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), online
This month is BCT’s Batfest and they have a tonne of mostly (if not entirely) free events. Check out their schedule here.
Bat Monitoring Walk, Western Slopes
A few of us from our small, but enthusiast group will be hitting the Western Slopes for a bat monitoring walk on Thursday 23rd September. If you’d like to join, then let us know and we’ll share the details with you. Email: MyWildBedminster@virginmedia.com