The second of the box checks were undertaken yesterday.
We found nothing in March and were not expecting much today as it is still quite early in the season for bats to be using boxes. And we were right. The team checked all fifty boxes and no bats were in – though a number of boxes did have bird’s nests in them, and some had bat droppings. This is not unusual and we hope the bats will move in once the birds have raised their broods. Some bat box projects put up bird boxes as well to leave the bat boxes free for bats. In Wytham Wood in Oxford, the reverse happens and bats move into the bird boxes, When we used to check boxes at Whipsnade they were always occupied by blue tits never by bats
The Bedfordshire Bat Group was formed in 1988 and is affiliated to the Bedfordshire Natural History Society and a partner group of the national organisation, The Bat Conservation Trust. The bat group works for bat conservation within Bedfordshire and Luton;carries out surveys of bats and maintains a database of bat records; works with people to provide information and raise awareness of bat conservation; and, when necessary, carries out bat care and rehabilitation
Hi there, I'm really guessing folk have already thought and discussed my following questions - if so very sorry peeps!
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I'm guessing if blue tits are accessing the boxes obviously boxes are used by quite a range of bat species other than pips? If it were primarily pips, given how small they are, is it not possible to have boxes with an entrance less than 25mm? Apologies for not knowing the minimum opening size. I'm guessing like birds, there must be some dimensions?
Also, as the boxes are inspected under licence, is it then not possible during winter (under licence) to block them with something and remove it at an appropriate point after winter, when a) bats are not yet likely to want to be accessing them and its too late for most blue tits to be bothered with trying to set up a nest in one?
It must be frustrating to find so many occupied by bird nests - especially as while I can think of some birds that do need the help, currently blue tit is not one!
Just a thought
Thanks,
John