Bat walk, Fairmile Common, 1 September 2006

Ross Baker and Lynn Whitfield (Chairman and Secretary of Surrey Bat Group) led an evening's bat-watching, which was attended by several ENHS members and also a few Bat Group members.  We began the evening by handing out ultrasonic bat detectors (recently acquired by the Bat Group), which enabled everyone not only to see but to hear the bats - a real boon in the failing light which never fails to enhance the experience.

We set off at dusk from the car park on the south side of Portsmouth Road, stopping first by some bat boxes that were erected on the trees by Middle Pond some years ago.  Although we did not see any bats emerging from these, we were treated to a good view of at least one soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) performing aerobatics around our heads, accompanied by characteristic streams of clicks from the detectors (including "feeding buzzes" - a rather rude noise like someone blowing a raspberry, which indicates the bat is catching an insect).  Research comparing habitat preferences of the two most common pipistrelle species (the other actually being called the common pipistrelle, P. pipistrellus) has in fact shown that soprano pips are more likely to forage and roost near water, so the presence of this species near the pond was not unexpected.

We carried on around the pond and along the track opposite, where more bat boxes are sited, ending up at the northern end of the pond where we spent the remainder of the evening.  Unfortunately we had only the briefest glimpse of the species we expected to see in some numbers, Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii), which specialises in feeding over water.  However, we did see more pipistrelles, and several large moths caught in the powerful spotlight we use for bat-watching (I was worried at one point that Dick was going to jump into the pond after them!).

All in all, not the greatest species list, but at least it was a fine evening for a stroll around the common.

LYNN WHITFIELD