Results from EEG Bat Walk on 25th May 2011

On a warm evening in May, Claire Andrews of Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire Bat Group led a bat walk for the EEG around the Maiden Erlegh Nature Reserve. The evening started well with a talk attended by 25 - 30 people, Rosie (a pipistrelle rescued after an accident) and another pipistrelle. Several members of the bat group were present including James, Katie, Rose-Anne and Bob, Steve and Glyn.
The walk then started quietly with no bats picked up initially (we started walking clockwise from point 131). After a short burst of excitement when a man was found lying on the floor and a pause while we waited for an ambulance, we started picking up our first pipistrelle bats with some good views of them feeding in the open areas beside the lake. We picked up both common and soprano bats here.
We then made our way to the north side of the lake and excitement mounted when we caught a fleeting glimpse of a noctule which quickly receded into the distance. We need not have worried as, within a few minutes, we were treated to some excellent views of noctules tearing up and down the lake with plenty of feeding buzzes as they went.
As we moved further down the lake, we started picking up Daubenton's (as it was now dark enough for these bats to emerge) and had good views of them hunting just over the surface of the water; especially good views were achieved from the bridge at the end of the lake.
There was a good level of activity, with something for everyone to see.

The maps below show locations where bats were detected. To identify the species, click here to download a key to the map.

For details of the signals emitted by each type of bat, click on their picture;

Common Pipistrelle

Soprano Pipistrelle

Noctule

Daubenton's

Photos from School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol.