Bats and a cool start to November

Sunny spells, 12°, breezy SW.

Yesterday Niall Hammond carried out a Bat survey from Cholsey Meadows, top end of Ilges lane, Church road, and Wallingford road area. Species recorded were: Daubenton’s Bat, Natterer’s Bat, Noctule, Serotine and both Common and Soprano Pipistrelle.

Thank you to Niall for the use of his records.

Back to today.

By the time I got along the Bunk line today, Alan had already been along the river and was also along the Bunk.

River: Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Raven, 2 Stonechat, Mistle Thrush, 15+ Redwing. A few Fieldfare later in the day.

Bunk/Green lane: Raven, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Jay, Herring Gull, Chiffchaff, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and to top the lot, a female Merlin flew towards Cholsey Hill.

The Golden Plover flock has increased to c200. Per Alan.

Mammals: Red Fox plus Niall’s Bats and Alan’s Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral.

Photos courtesy Alan.

Stonechat

Egyptian Geese

Jay

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)