Of Bats, Reptiles & More Housing

There is a new application for houses at Old Blackalls farm. P18/S4273/O)

The ecological survey with Bats undertaken on the Old Blackall's site for the applicant together with TR’s son’s monitoring here this year show very similar results.

It seems that we have a remarkable 8 species of bat, Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Noctule, Leisler's, Natterers, Barbastelle, Serotine and Brown Long Eared.

Bats enjoy a high degree of protection especially Barbastelle which is very rare and a UK Biodiversity Action Plan species.

There are few records of this species in Oxon & Berks.

Clearance of the site and housing estate light pollution are bound to threaten the continuing presence of these species in the area.

Also 

The Countryside Officer, Dominic Lamb, reports a medium population of Slow-worms and low numbers of Grass Snakes in the vicinity.

He also states “that these reptiles would need to be translocated off site - but that no receptor site has been identified”.

You wouldn't think from this that the area is arguably one of the top reptile sites in the county (if one ignores Adders and there are precious few of these now) One left at Bix!

From such an overgrown site we don't see how these reptiles can be gathered without huge clearance and given that half of them are probably on land adjoining Tony Rayner’s. The estimate of the populations are 150 Slow-worm and 20 Grass Snake not to mention the Common Lizard.

We wonder how far down on the political priorities is the environment!

Leisler's Bat (courtesy The Wildlife Trusts)

Bats & Bits

An edited version of an email sent to me by TR.

TR’s son Fred has become a Bat enthusiast and has bought an Echo Meter Pro Bat detector.

Switching it on overnight and leaving it the results are then analysed the following morning. It identifies the species for you and the number of passes made.

It was recorded during the time when East End farm was being demolished and more Bats were seen during this period with most coming from the direction of the farm area.

The results are as follows:

18th June 2018:

Common Pipistrelle: 13 passes

Soprano Pipistrelle: 2 passes

Noctule: 7 passes

Leisler’s Bat: 1 pass

21st June 2018:

Common Pipistrelle: 4 passes

Soprano Pipistrelle: 16 passes

7th August 2018:

Common Pipistrelle: 20 passes

Soprano Pipistrelle: 11 passes

Noctule: 17 passes

Natterer’s Bat: 1 pass

Until we had these results we were unaware that we had Natterer’s and Leisler’s in the area. The latter being a rare species in England.

Butterflies: still finding Small Copper in the garden.

And a Kestrel roosting on the cottage.

My input:

It is quite possible that East End farm was a roost site for several species of bat and has now been destroyed. I hope that the bats can find new roost sites (especially for winter hibernation) in the local area.

Our resident breeding species in the UK are: Alcathoe Bat, Barbastelle, Bechstein's Bat, Brandt's Bat, Brown Long-eared Bat, Common Pipistrelle, Daubenton's Bat, Greater Horseshoe Bat, Grey Long-eared Bat, Leisler's Bat, Lesser Horseshoe Bat, Nathusius' Pipistrelle, Natterer Bat, Noctule, Serotine, Soprano Pipistrelle and Whiskered Bat.

5 other Bat species that rarely turn up in the UK from continental Europe and are: Greater Mouse-eared Bat (possibly are very rare resident), Pond Bat (1 record), Kuhl’s Pipistrelle, Parti-coloured Bat and Northern Bat (1 record).

All Bats in the UK are protected species under the Wildlife & Countryside Act.

You will be committing a criminal act if you:

1. Deliberately capture, injure or kill a bat

2. Intentionally or recklessly disturb a bat in its roost or deliberately disturb a group of bats

3. Damage or destroy a bat roosting place (even if bats are not occupying the roost at the time)

4. Possess or advertise/sell/exchange a bat (dead or alive) or any part of a bat

5. Intentionally or recklessly obstruct access to a bat roost

For more information go to: UK Bats

Daubenton's Bat (courtesy Bat Conservation Trust)