Last night, August 29th 2016, prompted by the sighting at midday the previous day of a Daubenton's bat happily foraging for insects over the river - not in broad daylight - but in deep, murky gloom - I decided to check on the riverside wildlife at night. It was a clear warm night, quite dry and no wind to rattle the leaves. Certainly at this time of the year the river comes to life at night..
Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) are usually one of the earliest species to venture out to forage after sunset - often with the western sky still light. This evening several were detected and seen around the very old oaks on the river at the edge of a hedge which they use as a 'flyway'. The sky rapidly became dark and several Soprano pipistrelles (Pipistrellus pygmaus) were detected amongst the others. They are very slightly smaller but can be detected by the higher frequency of their echolocation calls and the call rapidity. Pipistrelles usually fly quite low and can come very close, giving the impression that they are on a collision course with the observer! A single Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) was detected away from the trees, hunting far higher up - and another high flyer was probably a Serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) closer to the trees - with a slightly higher frequency than the low frequency call of the Noctule. Walking along the river towards the area where the 'midday' bat was seen revealed the presence of bats certainly identifiable as Daubentons bats (Myotis daubentonii).
These bats were in the deep shadows unlit by path lighting filtering through onto the river.
Good numbers of bats were present along this section of the river and another survey will be done after rain as soon as possible whilst the weather is still warm and insects are plentiful.
Moths are a common prey of bats - therefore vegetation with night scented flowering plants attracting moths will also attract bats.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) or woodbine is a good example, sustaining long-tongued bees during the day and attracting moths during the night.
Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) are usually one of the earliest species to venture out to forage after sunset - often with the western sky still light. This evening several were detected and seen around the very old oaks on the river at the edge of a hedge which they use as a 'flyway'. The sky rapidly became dark and several Soprano pipistrelles (Pipistrellus pygmaus) were detected amongst the others. They are very slightly smaller but can be detected by the higher frequency of their echolocation calls and the call rapidity. Pipistrelles usually fly quite low and can come very close, giving the impression that they are on a collision course with the observer! A single Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) was detected away from the trees, hunting far higher up - and another high flyer was probably a Serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) closer to the trees - with a slightly higher frequency than the low frequency call of the Noctule. Walking along the river towards the area where the 'midday' bat was seen revealed the presence of bats certainly identifiable as Daubentons bats (Myotis daubentonii).
These bats were in the deep shadows unlit by path lighting filtering through onto the river.
Good numbers of bats were present along this section of the river and another survey will be done after rain as soon as possible whilst the weather is still warm and insects are plentiful.
Moths are a common prey of bats - therefore vegetation with night scented flowering plants attracting moths will also attract bats.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) or woodbine is a good example, sustaining long-tongued bees during the day and attracting moths during the night.
Honeysuckle in flower attracting bees - and moths at night - in turn attracting bats…
Same Honeysuckle plant pollinated by bees and moths, now a mass of red berries attracting birds.
August/September
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