Photograph Center Parcs
Center Parcs has recently opened a new village in Bedfordshire, in what was a pretty bleak conifer plantation. Center Parcs prides itself in it commitment to increase local biodiversity and support local voluntary conservation groups. Working with their ecological consultants we have entered an agreement in which we monitor their bat boxes, give bat related advice and undertake surveys of the area in return for an annual donation to the bat group. .
The consultants had identified a good range of species , so were extremely keen to have a look for ourselves.
Last night four of the group’s most experienced members joined three members of the Center Park staff to have a go at harp trapping and mist netting on the site.
The two nets caught a soprano pipistrele and a common pipistrelle.but once again it was the harp trap which caught most:
2 soprano pips
1 common pip
3 Daubenton’s
2 Natterer’s
2 brown long eared bats
1 Noctule 9 Once again in full breeding condition
We only trapped for two and a half hours so this was a very pleasing result and shows how much the biodiversity has increased already.
We are planning to do a bat detector survey there next month. This is going to be a lot of fun