Bat Ramble

Jessie Smallman is an ecologist and licensed bat handler who undertakes a wide variety of work including surveys and rescue missions. In late August Jessie led a small TDNG group on a bat
spotting ramble in our area. Here is a summary of how things went, written by Jean and Adrian Jones.

The rain stopped just in time and the bats were out when we set off. As the light began to fade we walked from the corner of Teg Down Meads, up Lanham Lane and around the nearest field where we enjoyed beautiful sunset views. This area forms a valuable wildlife corridor between Crab Wood and the gardens of Teg Down.

Jessie handed out small hand-held bat detector devices. We were thrilled to hear the first click-click-click sounds almost immediately and to catch a glimpse of bats darting past. They can
sometimes be seen around the lamp posts on street corners where insects gather but generally do not like the light. The frequencies we heard were mostly Pipistrelles keeping to the trees along the lane, but a few could have been larger species flying over the fields. There are some seventeen species of bat in the UK of which the Pipistrelle is the most common. It is very small and can squeeze into a two-centimetre gap.

During the walk Jessie talked about many topics including how to recognise if there are bats roosting by looking for droppings and discarded moth wings and how in our own gardens, we can support bats by installing bat boxes and providing ponds to attract invertebrates.

A big thank you from TDNG to Jessie Smallman for leading this enjoyable and informative walk