Batty about bats!
To engage the community in early September, the Community Green Group held a bat walk around Boston Spa which was attended by about 30 people of all ages.
And we were 'batty' because it was wet! Although we did get to see the odd bat that evening.
Bats are the world’s only flying mammal and are threatened by a range of issues such as habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and the reduction in their food supply (insects). All species of bats are protected by law in the UK.
We started with an introduction into the species group and explained that bats navigate using echolocation. This is where they will make a series of clicking sounds and listen to the returning echoes. To hear their vocalisations, a piece of equipment known as a bat detector must be used to convert the calls into a frequency humans can hear.
Above are a couple of recordings of bat calls so that they made to be audible by humans. The second recording of a Noctule was recorded in Catterick in July 2024. Noctules are known for this classic 'clip clop' sound at a low frequency (20hz).
The walk took us through the grounds of St Mary’s Church. Bats roost in trees, caves and buildings with churches being a firm favourite for some species. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn with rain throughout the event. Bats avoid rain where possible and it was explained that we may not see as many out as we may expect. Whilst sheltering from the rain under the trees in the church yard, we got the first glimpse of a bat, a Soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus). Using a bat detector and knowledge of each bat's unique call, a species can often be speculated. When conducting a professional survey, the calls would be recorded so they can be analysed using software to more accurately identify the species.
The walk continued through the woods and along the river, both key habitats for the species, where we saw and heard several bats. A bat box was shown to the group, this being an artificial home for bats. Old trees such as ancient oaks, crack and split as they age, but due to historic deforestation, larger more suitable trees have been cut down limiting roosting potential for bats. With time and correct management, the woodlands of the UK will hopefully recover providing roosting potential for bats and other species such as owls and other birds of prey.
Throughout the walk, questions were asked by those interested to know more and whilst the rain was not ideal, the mood at the end of the walk seemed positive with many expressing their thanks and looked forward to future walks.
The hope is to make the bat walk a yearly event with the potential for the next walk being mid to late spring, hopefully with better weather!
Our thanks goes to Luke and Liam, who led the evening and contributed to this post. Thank you so much for answering all the questions, despite the weather. We hope you can support a similar activity next year.
