How prevalent are Bats ?

[Jesse]

I have been told before that if you see bats feeding under lights they are sure to be pips. Do you think that is an accurate generalisation?

It seems to be the case where I live, I take my kids to watch them snaffling moths under a street light occasionally.

I dont know i thought it was the lights which provide the feeding ground and what ever bats are around will feed, the pips are great just fliting around your head , its one of gods free treats, something you cant replicate on the internet.

[Treecreeper1961]

I dont know i thought it was the lights which provide the feeding ground and what ever bats are around will feed, the pips are great just fliting around your head , its one of gods free treats, something you cant replicate on the internet.

 

It is a real treat too:thumbup:

[LloydBore]

I have been told before that if you see bats feeding under lights they are sure to be pips. Do you think that is an accurate generalisation?

 

Hi Treecreeper,

 

It is a fairly accurate idea. Pipistrelles are our most adaptable bat, which is why it is the most common. They have therefore been able to adapt to feeding around street lights where some insects congregate (in particular mercury streetlights).

 

Many of the other, slower flying species positively avoid the lights as it increases the chances of being predated on. When we advise clients on developments, we always suggest the minimal use of flood lighting and street lighting as it has been shown to significantly reduce the numbers of bats in an area. It is particularly problematic amongst trees and near rivers.

 

Cheers,

 

Rich

 

(Lloyd Bore Ecology)

[Doug Blease]

There are studies to suggest that where lighting is involved, bats will predate on a lower range of species, causing a severe local reduction in particular prey species.

 

From my experience, Pipistrelle sp. are more tolerant of lighting. I have even located a roost directly above a large security light which illuminated an entire quadrant.

[David Humphries]

Just back from the first day of this years AA conference.

 

An interesting presentation which will probably affect the majority of us, was around the upcoming draft of BS 8596 'surveying for bats in trees and woodland'

 

Likely to be up for comments early part of 2014 and then aiming to be released late autumn 2014

 

sounds as if the driving force is a perceived requirement to bring all the guidance currently out there, (AA's Guidance Note 1 – Bats in the context of tree work operations, BCT's Bats & Trees in England, etc....) together under one document.

 

Intended to provide more weight behind the need to carry out and record surveys for the potential of roost and habitat before all tree work.

 

 

 

Edit.......on reflection, I feel that this has been covered by the AA's guidance already.

Not entirely sure it needs a seperate British Standard

 

Will be interesting to compare the 2011 guidance note with the draft, when its out for comments.

.

[David Humphries]

Although not to do with Bats and Trees directly, this is an interesting case study of a property developer, where the police asked them to write about their experience as part of the Restorative Justice agreement made following a Bat Persecution case.

 

A Property Developer Shares His Story - Bat Conservation Trust

 

http://www.bats.org.uk/data/files/Bat_Crime_Letter.pdf

 

In it they take the opportunity to highlight the main legal points around bats and their habitat.

 

 

 

The law

 

There are several bat offences in the UK:

 

• Damage or destruction of a bat “breeding site” or “resting place”. This is one of the most strict

offences (known as a “strict liability” offence), as no intention to commit the offence is

needed, i.e. even if you destroy a bat roost unintentionally, by a mistake, you are still guilty

of an offence.

 

• Possession of live or dead bats. As above, you don’t need any intention to commit this

offence, making it a “strict liability” offence.

 

• Deliberate killing/injury/capture of bats.

 

• Deliberate disturbance of bat species.

 

• Intentional or reckless disturbance of a bat while it is in a place of shelter/protection – this applies to individual bats, unlike the above disturbance offence.

 

• Intentional or reckless obstruction of access to a bat’s place of shelter or protection.

 

 

 

Thought it worth sharing as a heads up/reminder.....

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Staying on a small holding in Cornwall, bats everywhere.

Coming out of the barns and old oaks.

 

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[felixthelogchopper]

Great pictures, David! Bats absolutely fascinate me and I spend many happy hours out with my detector in the company of the local Bat Group.

[Anno]

Look like Greater Horseshoe, smart!

[devon TWiG]

I was parked by a bridge over a river the other day at 2;15 in the afternoon , on a warm sunny day ,watching a bat actively flying around the same small area catching insects , I have never seen any bat so active in the daytime ( unless they were in a tree I had felled !!! ) yes it has happened more than once in the past , before bats became sacred , but I wish them no harm .