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The statues gazed on askance as we descended on Wrest Park for a trapping session as 12 of us, including 3 Wrest Park staff, bearing trapping equipment and cake. We set up two harp taps and 4 mist nets (two of which caught nothing) and waited as darkness fell. We were kept busy and new members got some handling and processing practice
Jude celebrated her two cataract ops and her new found sight by making flapjacks and Sarah celebrated two years in the bat group by bringing a big chocolates tray bake. It is sign of how busy we were that she got to take some home. There were imprompu seminars on howto rate the breeding condition of males (bats)and wing venation of pips. Some of the Wrest Park staff saw their first bat in the hand and were entranced.
But without doubt the species the night was the barbastelle, of which we caught two.
Photo Bob Cornes
In total we caught 25 bats:
13 soprano pips ( 8 juvenile)
5 common pips ( 3 juveniles)
5 Daubentons ( 3 juveniles)
1 adult Brown Long eared
2 adul male barbastelles.
We hope to investigate further in September Thanks again to Wrest Park for letting us explore