Bats

[Hevva]

My neighbour has had a roost of Pipistrelle bats under her roof now for the last five or six years. She has 'counted them in' on several occasions - usually between 95 and 104 (that's patience!). I recently went to the County Show where they had one on show and was amazed just how really tiny they are. When they zoom over your head in the late evening, they always seem quite large but this is obviously the length of wing and 'fingers'. They cause no problems to her and we can often hear the noise of the babies. Does anyone else have these delightful creatures?

[chilternbirder]

You have made me realise that I haven't seen any this year. Normally there are quite a few around in the evenings.

We have lost a lot of mature trees in the last year and people are doing work on their houses rather than moving which may have had an effect.

I have tried bat boxes at two different houses. The family of wrens that occupied one was nice but not what I had intended.

[Jenny]

We used to have a bat nursery colony in our house in the midlands and whilst it was a nightmare when you needed work done on roof and also clearing out occasionally - bat dung piles get heavy!! - it was a real privilege. We had a nursery colony next to our house here but they cut down some mature trees and built over the field where you'd see bats every evening and early morning. Not seen a bat around for four years - it's tragic!

[70007]

I occasionally see them swooping over our front garden just after sunset, but I have no idea where their roost is. There are some old buildings not very far away, and I have always presumed they are resident there.

I have no idea which species they are either.

John

[Nature__Lover]

In a park very near my house,
there are a few bat boxes situated high up in trees,
but i'm yet to see or hear one :/

[Jandy]

Some years ago now we went on a Bat Walk not too far from here at Hanwell, where bats roost inside the hollow brick supports of the railway viaduct. I don't know for sure what sort they were, but I'm assuming Pipistrelles, which I believe are the commonest.