To be honest people headed out with some trepidation on Sunday, unsure of what the weather had in store.In fact it was quite kind and the gang got round in record time until they reached the last box.
Brown long eared bat Photo Jonathan Durward
This was an old hibernation box which was going spare and we put it up in Kings Wood before we started the box project.Usually Sunday no-one was at home, in but yesterday it contained 22 brown long eareds,: 2 adult males,6 females (2 non parous and four late lactating or non lactating) There were three well developed juvenile males and 3 well developed females. There were also two younger but well developed pups which we did not disturb. Four managed to escape before they were caught..
The other highlight was that we found dropping for the first time in the boxes we put up this winter.
We also found an adult male soprano pip and a very desiccated young soprano(?) pipistrelle.
In all 32 bats were caught of which 23 had been ringed and seven were given shiny new rings
It was interesting,but not unexpected, that some of the boxes which were in use last month were empty this month. Over lunch there was speculation as to why this was the case. It was suggested that one or more of them had posted a poor review on Trip Advisor, In two time at all the concept of Chiro-trip Advisor was born
Thanks to Aidan, Jonathan. Soggy, Chantelle Yan and Alex for helping Bob to eat the cake.