Bat Walk | Report
25th August 2018

Fifty people, including a number of family groups, and two dogs attended the Bat Walk presented by Dr Carol Williams of the Bat Conservation Trust. It was a sunny evening with a cool wind so hopes were high of a good turnout which proved to be the case for both people and bats.

Carol gave an introductory presentation to improve our understanding of these fascinating creatures and then as the sun set and dusk crept up on us we armed ourselves with a number of bat detectors and set off towards the orchid fields to seek out our only flying mammals.

After some moderate success identifying some Common Pipistrelles the group moved back to the Duck Pond area as dusk moved into darkness under a splendid full moon. The bat detectors really came alive in this environment with both Common Pipistrelles and Soprano Pipistrelles being heard and fleetingly seen. Finally Carol managed to tune in and identify Daubenton's Bats over the lake.

We were also rewarded with two Herons circling over the lake in the moonlight, quite eerie and awe-inspiring!