Going Batty in the Park
noctule
An amazing turn out (Friday 7 Sept) of local families in search of bats in our Park. 79 people in total were counted, of all ages and differing ethic backgrounds, confirming that we do want organised environmental activity in our Park.
Senior Ranger
Steve Hinton gave a very intuitive talk about bats dispelling some of the
myths we have all grown up to believe - no they won’t get stuck in your hair and the phrase 'as blind as a bat' is really plain batty because bats can see as clearly as we can.
As the evening chorus wains away the bats should take to the air.
The Rangers (from the Lickey Hub) led
us, armed with bat detectors and a torch the power of a few thousand candles, around the
park. Some organised folk came along kitted out with their own
torches and binoculars, even the smaller children, who enjoyed taking a more Indiana Jones approach, scrambling in the thick of it under the bushes and slugs!
A bit about how we find bats. All photographs and the following exerts are taken from the Bat Conservation Website: www.bats.org.uk . Please visit it, you can get involved with bat surveys and even adopt a bat.
‘Bats use high frequency calls, normally
beyond the range of human hearing, build up a sound picture of their
surroundings. This system, called echolocation, enables them to wing their way
through the night and hunt down even the tiniest of insects. Humans can usually
hear echolocation calls only by using a device called a bat detector, which
makes the bats’ echolocation sounds audible to humans’
We all waited
patiently, as the sun fell behind the Scotch Pines, listening and looking for any of the varieties of bats known to
inhabit the Park.
We waited but with limited success hearing a small number of bats
and seeing only one or two. We moved along
the canal feeder picking up a couple, then onto the banks of the River Rea. Here
we soon realised the bats were skimming along the surface of the river, hidden by the the of trees, out of view. The detectors registered common pipistrelle and noctule:
Common pipistrelle - Pipistrelles are the commonest British bats, weighing around 5 grams
(less than a £1 coin). A single pipistrelle can eat 3,000 tiny insects in
just one night!
Noctule
- This bat has long narrow wings and flies in a straight line, very high
and fast. It's our biggest bat, but it's still smaller than the palm of your
hand!
For facts sheets on these bats and other go to http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/uk_bats.html#Nathusius
Ranger Steve considered the reasons for so few sightings - one explanation could be that on this evening there was a lack of
cloud cover which, when this happens at this time of year, causes a sudden damp chill in the air, resulting in the number of midges (those things nibbling us at the start)
reduce rapidly. In turn, the bats will not come out to hunt as frequently, choosing to conserve their
energy instead.
However, with the sky so clear it gave those with a keen interest in astrology an opportunity to identify satellites and
star constellations - see below for forthcoming Lickey Hills Star Gazing event.
Thank you for supporting our event Please keep in touch like. - tell us the type of activities you would like to see in the Park.
ON STARS!!! LICKEY HILLS FREE FAMILY
EVENT: presents, STAR GAZING on FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER from 7pm. You can enter a star gazing dome to view the
southern and northern skies, ask questions and find out facts. Other activities include talks, an opportunity to look through powerful telescopes
to moon gaze and astrologists will be on hand to guide you. Call the Rangers to find out more 0121 445
6036
NEXT EVENT IN KINGS
NORTON PARK – SAT 13 OCTOBER 2012
11.30am to 2.30pm Upper Civic Garden. Celebrating our new facilities, activities from
the Friends of Kings Norton Park, Rangers, National Trust, The Civic Society and local groups. There will be a brief opening
ceremony at 1pm and an
exhibition in the Library. This day is also a farmer’s market day so please pop
along to buy your local organic produce before or after visiting us.
email info@foknp@gmail.com
blog friendsofkingsnortonpark@gmail.com
