A short and remarkable video from Springwatch in 2009 showing Daubenton’s Bats catching insect right over the water. They hunting big bugs such as stoneflies and mayflies and so only need about a thousand kills a night, unlike other bats which hunt smaller prey and need to catch some 3000.
Category Archives: Bats of Britain
Protecting bats
The general decline in British bat populations is worrying, but the legal protection they are afforded can be a source of good news. Stringent fines (of up to £5,000 per bat killed with additional penalisation for any roost damage ) oblige property owners and developers to adapt to their presence. Here are some cases where priorities were got right. Continue reading Protecting bats
Designer bat house in London
A strange white cube stands among the lagoons and trees in the London Wetland Centre at Barnes. It’s the result of an international design competition, won by two architecture students, Jorgen Tandberg from Oslo and Yo Murata from Tokyo. As well as stylish, it’s highly practical from a bat’s point of view. The internal layers of wood sheets offer cosy roosting sites suitable for a variety of species: eight of Britain’s 17 native bat species have been recorded in the reserve. The material is Hemcrete – a mixture of hemp and lime that’s breathable and absorbs CO2. It’s hoped that the box will be an inspiration for architects, showing that art and consideration for nature can go together. The inauguration of the bat house will celebrate the centenary of the birth of naturalist and wildlife artist Sir Peter Scott.