Morning

I finally got around to looking at the droppings last night before heading of to Wrest park. Although I didn't look at them very closely (waiting on microscope) I used a 10x and 20x hand lens and found wing fragments in the droppings. As mealworms don't have wings this means he is feeding himself to a point, meaning that cutting the mealworms down slowly seems to be working.

For the following two weeks I won't be about so there will not be any updates (Sorry)

M

Well

Looks like the tag has finally failed, which is a shame as the plan was to track him on Wednesday
We are still giving him extra food but slowly reducing the amount, making him feed himself, I expect him to continue using the box for some time, but we will see as the food slowly drops.

M

Last night was a bit of a waste of time, after an hour of him leaving it started raining hard and he was back in the box by 11pm, probably got more sense than us!!!

will be trying to track him again on Wednesday (hopefully).

Well

He has been coming and going as he pleases, he has lost a little weight but not enough to worry about. Friday morning(23rd) he didn't come back, so Bob and I tried to find him with the car tracking equipment, but no luck, Saturday morning however he was back in the box provided, as well as Sunday morning. Simon and I are going to track him tonight and see where he is going (probably Luton Hoo).

We are slowly cutting down the number of mealworms left for him in the box, which is probably why he is losing a little weight and he is flying every night as well adding to the weight loss.

I have collected some of his droppings when I have been able, but as yet have not looked at them closely. They do however look different to the ones which were just mealworm and I am pretty sure he is feeding, but will check the droppings to be sure, when I get a spare day.

Morning

Ther noctule is now coming and going at will, I have started to collect the droppings daily to analysis at a later date, that way we can see what he has been eating.

Last night after a couple of circles around the house he headed off in the direction of Luton Hoo again. I didn't get round to tracking him via the car and I am away tonight, but will try on Friday, assuming this cold I have eases off.

Martin

Morning

Well after he left on the Sunday night, Monday morning saw hm return. He struggled to get into the box provided, so have had to adapt it slightly.

The Monday he didn't go anywhere, we are thinking he was tried from the two previous nights outings.

Last night he went just before 10pm, some of the group where mist netting at Luton Hoo estate. It was a rubbish night netting but after we packed up (midnight) Bob and I got the radio tracking gear out. Bob picked him up immediately and we followed him for about half and hour.

If he goes tonight I will try a car tracking and see if I can follow him.

Martin

Morning

Well, saturday the 17th saw 8 of the group spend the night with the pup in the tunnel all night.
He flew well for extended periods and got a little tried around 2am.

On the sunday, we gathered at the house for the soft release. at 10.55pm he left and we tracked him for about 10 minutes and then lost the signal. myself and Tanya checked every few hours and at 2am had a contact with him, Tanya saw him and I heard him.

Tanya stayed up and at 5am he was flying around the garden, struggling to get into the box, so when he landed she helped him in. He had some mealworms and is still in there this morning.

The soft release seems to be working at the moment.

M

This is the noctule pup, well not some much an pup anymore, he is flying really well now.

everything is set for Saturday with a number of members offering help, and the weather looks good for Sunday and the release.

Hopefully all will go well and the hard work put in by so many will be paid off.

Having weighed the pup last night he is maintaining a weight of 28grams even after flying for up to an hour each night. We also took mum up last night and although she tried to fly it was more of a flop to the ground. the shoulder is twisted and she can't fully open the wing, it is still good exercise for her though.

will try and get some more photos tonight and post tomorrow.

Saturday night will be an all nighter to prepare him for releasse on Sunday.

M

Still flying well, Simon and chris both filmed him last night, hopefully this will be up on the newsgroup soon.

we also took a pip in last night, but there was far to much damage to the wing for it to fly correctly, it did try but couldn't quite manage.

M

The pup is doing better and better each night now, Bob recorded him last night in the tunnel and he is ecolocating well, but at around 27khz, it also sounds funny (like a lazer cannon off starwars, bobs description). This is probably because of the cluttered environment, there is also alot of background noise and we are sure the pulses are bouncing of the sides of the tunnel and reflecting all over the tunnel.

We will be filming him tonight and flying him everynight this week.

Hi

The pup is becoming stronger and stronger now and flying in the tunnel is paying off, as of this week he will be flown every night with a potentail release date of the following weekend.

We are going to soft release from the house as he was born here and we can also supply food for him as well as a roost in the first instance.

We will probably radio track him as well so all in all its looking good for him at the moment.

M

Took pup uo too the flight tunnel and he is still doing very well, flying for longer and turning well now.

Will be flying him almost every night as of next week, preparing him for release in hopefully a week or two.

The pup is flying very well now and is able to turn in the tunnel, we also had a pip flying in there last night and it is ready now for release, spent a good 10 minutes flying around.

the pup is well on the way to being weaned and is readally taking mealworms every night without help, including the skins now, hopefully he will come off mums milk before to long.

Took the pup to the polytunnel on saturday, and he was flying quite well. he turned twice in the tunnel which I thought was good for the first time flying in a large space.

He will be flying agin tonight up there so hopefully he will be getting stronger and stronger.

The bats are still doing well with mum weighing a healthly 32g and pup and whooping 28g now, he is still exercising the wings and hopefully this saturday will be his first time in the polytunnel.

Went up and started to finish of the polytunnel, have put extra wieght on the side and held it down with some rope. heading up there saturday to put down white dust sheets and put the door on. In the evening will take both bats up and hopefully he will flywell in the large space.

M