Bats

[Mobee]

I sometimes have bats flying round my garden on warm nights I presume they are catching insects. Can anyone tell me how I can identify which species they are?

[Jenny]

Check out Bat Preservation Society website. You're lucky - despite protection, our ****** council allowed builders to demolish a nursery site!

[Mobee]

Thanks Jenny, I've just taken your advice and had a look at the website www.bats.org.uk (http://www.bats.org.uk) I hadn't realised there were 17 species of bat in the UK. It seems I need a sonic bat detector, sounds expensive. I think I will just appreciate having them around whatever they are.
Maureen

[Jenny]

Hi, Maureen,

There's a lot of different bat detectors around - some are cheaper than others but you do pay for quality. Some bat species can be ruled out depending on where you live in the UK, which helps and size can help, too.

In a house in Warwickshire, I had bats of one species in the roof of the house and a different species in a large shed at the other end of the property; I love them and I'm so furious that the Council caused this disturbance. Jenny

[Kerry L]

Hi everyone
Our bats tend to be Pipistrelles - there is a protected site at the end of the Basingstoke Canal, called the Greywell Tunnel. They venture over this way quite a lot, although there may be other families around. I like to go out in the garden when they are swooping around and listen to them clicking. This year I haven't seen many at all, perhaps it is the heat - moths seem to be in abundance, though.
Regards, Kerry

[Nick the Grief]

We've got a bat as well. I've a feeling they nest in our attic as the eaves aren't seal up like in new houses - we get quite a few sparrows nest there as well. My daughter has named him Fidget after the one i the disney cartoon Dasil the great mouse detective. I've never tried to ID it but I've always assumed it was a pipistrelle. you can get a bat detector as a kit & build it yourself but it's still about £50. Try you local county wildlife organisation they may have some and you can perhaps get them round to give you a demo of the equipment.

Where abouts in Warwickshire did you live Jenny? I'm near to Nuneaton in the North of the county.