goin bats??

[elicokiz]

A learner was climbing one of our mature beech tree a couple of weeks ago and held onto a branch which was almost fused with its compainion, leaving a narrow open strip on the underside. When he placed weight on the branch we could hear audible squeeks 20 meters below. I was under the impression that bats made a clicking noise when they where alarmed, however it was the first warm day of the year and was just wondering if anyone else has come across such a phenomena?

 

Dave

 

I will be quite happy if they are bats, as a work colleauge was looking into felling the tree

[Ty Unnos]

Not an expert but I have heard bats squeak.I also thought they only clicked but have heard a 'maternity roost' up close and they make a right racket!

[elicokiz]

Not an expert but I have heard bats squeak.I also thought they only clicked but have heard a 'maternity roost' up close and they make a right racket!

 

Thanks for your reply...I didnt think of it being a maternity roost, that will have one of my colleagues fighting at the bit for a look?

 

regards

Dave

[LloydBore]

Hi Dave,

 

You're right that bats normally make noises that are far higher than we can hear, but when they are in the roost they use much lower noises which sound far more like chattering. The noises they usually make in flight are for echolocation - seeing the world with sound (like radar) - whereas the noises they make in a roost are simply social calls to talk to each other and therefore don't need to be so high pitched.

 

It sounds very much like your learner climber disturbed a roosting bat and that your colleague may want to rethink his plans to fell the tree. At this time of year it will not be a maternity roost, as they don't pup until around June time but the roost will be protected nonetheless.

 

If you're in any doubt, get an ecologist out to take a look, it may have been mice or even birds, but it sounds batty to me.

 

Rich

 

Lloyd Bore Ecology

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

sounds batty to me too, cool beans!

[elicokiz]

Hi Dave,

 

You're right that bats normally make noises that are far higher than we can hear, but when they are in the roost they use much lower noises which sound far more like chattering. The noises they usually make in flight are for echolocation - seeing the world with sound (like radar) - whereas the noises they make in a roost are simply social calls to talk to each other and therefore don't need to be so high pitched.

 

It sounds very much like your learner climber disturbed a roosting bat and that your colleague may want to rethink his plans to fell the tree. At this time of year it will not be a maternity roost, as they don't pup until around June time but the roost will be protected nonetheless.

 

If you're in any doubt, get an ecologist out to take a look, it may have been mice or even birds, but it sounds batty to me.

 

Rich

 

Lloyd Bore Ecology

 

Thanks for your reply Lloyd, I was wondering what time the young would be born. We had another look [without disturbance] yesterday and found droppings which looked a little like those you would expect from a mouse?

 

thanks again

Dave

[LloydBore]

Hi Dave,

 

Be careful going back to the roost as if you run the risk of disturbing it, you should have a licence. That said, take a look at the droppings you found (if you still have them), if they crumble when you squish them and just turn to a kind of dust then they are probably bats.

If they go squidge or turn to a kind of paste then they are probably from a rodent like a mouse. Bat droppings do not have much moisture in them as bats don't really drink, and so their droppings are just made up from the shells of insects.

 

It's definitely sounding like bats though. If you're interested, hang around the tree at dusk (about 6.30ish at the moment) and you might well see them flying out.

 

Cheers,

 

Rich

 

(Lloyd Bore Ecology)

[Badgermert]

Hi Dave,

 

Be careful going back to the roost as if you run the risk of disturbing it, you should have a licence. That said, take a look at the droppings you found (if you still have them), if they crumble when you squish them and just turn to a kind of dust then they are probably bats.

If they go squidge or turn to a kind of paste then they are probably from a rodent like a mouse. Bat droppings do not have much moisture in them as bats don't really drink, and so their droppings are just made up from the shells of insects.

 

It's definitely sounding like bats though. If you're interested, hang around the tree at dusk (about 6.30ish at the moment) and you might well see them flying out.

 

Cheers,

 

Rich

 

(Lloyd Bore Ecology)

 

Good advice

No point hanging around if the weather is bad because they wont come out.

[farmer rod]

Thanks for your reply Lloyd, I was wondering what time the young would be born. We had another look [without disturbance] yesterday and found droppings which looked a little like those you would expect from a mouse?

 

thanks again

Dave

 

the droppings of mice and bats look very similar, but bats are crumbly in consistency and mouse much more like paste then hard as it drys. Under a microscope you can easily see wings and legs of insects in the bats droppings.

[Brett]

bloody bats! what good are they anyway???

 

 

(dont get me started on birds nests)