WILDLIFE COLUMN: Bats remained active during the mild weather
Simon Doncaster observed how local bats were active well into November and December this last year.
I noticed the same around Oakes Park in Norton with pipistrelle bats on sunny days late in the season. Noctule bats in particular can be active and will come out to feed well before dusk if insects are flying and provide potential food. For mammals which hibernate then keeping up levels of body-fat is critical to survival. This can also apply to other animals such as insects like butterflies some of which hibernate as adults though the winter. The danger for all these creatures is that if they wake up but cannot find food, then precious fat reserves are consumed and back in hibernation they may die. Readers often assume that bats are out and about just in summer but it is worth watching out through autumn and winter too. Once we move closer to spring then bats and butterflies can be expected if there are any bright, sunny days. Similarly in recent weeks the bird song has started to rise once again with great tits, blue tits, blackbirds, collared doves, dunnocks, and robins all joining in. Contact Professor Ian D Rotherham on [email protected] or follow ‘Ian’s Walk on the Wildside’ blog, www.ukeconet.org for more information.