(Elusive) bats & birds evening
Last week saw us trying our hardest to eek out the last of the summer holidays with an evening all about birds, bats and owls.
With light still on our side we set about making either a bird or bat box. A lack of decent screwdrivers slowed us down a bit but Roger soon came to the rescue (thank you Roger) and before long we had a brand new set of boxes ready to put up in Keeds Wood at a later date.
After working so hard we all agreed it was time to have a picnic. Hot drinks and campfire popcorn were enjoyed before tucking into chocolate bananas as the sun set and the art of bat detecting was discussed.
August is a quiet time for birds as many spend the month quietly taking cover as they malt and then regrow their flight feathers. So we expected not to hear or see many, however it was a perfect night for bats, so we were all feeling optimistic as we set off on our night walk...
...but...can you believe it all the bats were obviously at another party that night. Despite hunting in brilliant woodland edge habitat for over an hour all we picked up was one fleeting pipistrelle bat call. All was not lost we had a great time in the dark and found some beautiful moths attracted to our torches. A large yellow underwing put on a particularly good show for us. We also flummoxed a field of cows as we passed by and spotted constellations and satellites before heading back into the woods, which by now were pitch black. A very special experience for everyone.
Avon Wildlife Trust will be back at Keeds Woods in November for a coppicing day. Click here for more details.
