Bat Walk - Monday 30th July

A good turnout for the guided bat walk tonight. After a short briefing in the visitor centre we set off across the meadows to the finger lakes, stopping regularly and scanning the sky for high flying noctules. Unfortunately none were seen early on so we continued around the outskirts of the finger lakes complex to the navigation channel where we picked up our first bats, Pipistrelles feeding over the river. After a short stop to watch we continued along to the corner of east fingers where pips were again in evidence swooping about and diving down over the lake to grab an unfortunate insect. we stood for a while watching them and listening to there calls from the bat detectors that John Bishop and a couple of the visitors had with them. As they scanned up and down the frequencies a different call betrayed the presence of Daubenton's bat. These were seen later as they skimmed low across the water. Noctule's were also seen later as we stood and watched more pip's at the beach are of the main lake. As we headed bake along the main path toward the visitor centre we were entertained by any number of pip's darting about above our heads between the main lake and the finger lakes and it was a glorious site as we turned and watched the full moon rising above the trees with bats darting back and forth in front of it. A great evening, who needs TV when you have live wildlife on your doorstep. Look out for the next bat walk in September, it's well worth it.