Pure Delight As Bats Come Out On Broadstreet Common

Published on: 25 Sep, 2013
Updated on: 26 Sep, 2013

More than 60 people of all ages gathered on Broadstreet Common on the edge of Park Barn to go on a bat walk as darkness fell on Tuesday evening (September 24).

People gather for the bat walk on Broadstreet Common. Surrey Wildlife Trust outreach officer Tasha Feddery is pictured far left.

The walk was led by outreach officer, Tasha Feddery, of Surrey Wildlife Trust, and was one of this week’s local Joining In! project events.

The group gathered on the common and Tasha first explained that the weather looked good for some bat hunting. She also dismissed all the ago-old stories about UK bats sucking blood and sticking in people’s hair!

Tasha and her team handed out a number of bat detectors and off everyone went for a walk through the common towards Pinks Hill in the hope that bats on the wing would be detected on the hand-held appliances.

It was not long before the tell tale clicking of bats’ calling were being picked up on a number of the detectors. And as the light began to fade a number of bats were observed flying out from the trees in search of insects to eat.

With torches switched on, the group thinned out into a long line as they walked some of the paths across the common. They made their way to a pond and paused – and there more bats were detected.

Library photo of a pipestrelle bat.

The technology of the bat detectors registered that by the end of the hour-and-a-half walk (then in total darkness) four of the  UK’s 17-odd species had been recorded. They were: common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, brown long-eared, and Dauberton’s bat.

It was an enjoyable and fascinating evening and ended with everyone thanking Tasha and her team.

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