Are you a bat lover? Your best time to see them locally is at dusk, and organised Bat Watching events do take place around our area.
Here’s a guide to a few places to find out more about these protected mammals, and events coming up locally.
A range of organisations organise bat walks in our area, including RSPB Leighton Moss and the Wildlife Trust. They are worth it because they usually have bat detectors and you then know what bats to look out for.
Which bat species live in Lancashire?
The bat species are found in Lancashire are the Common pipistrelle, our most common bat – and also our smallest, weighing just 3 – 8g; the Soprano pipistrelle; Noctule bats, one of our largest species, weighing in at a chunky 18 – 40g, that produce loud, metallic chirping sounds when hunting, that can be heard up to 200 – 300m away on hot days; Daubenton’s bat, which hunts over water; the Natterer’s bat, which hunts in woods, a species living in Britain considered of international importance; the Brown long-eared bat, the most common bat species in Lancashire after the pipistrelle, but another that hunts in trees so it’s difficult to see; Brandt’s bat, which looks really similar to the whiskered bat, also a Lancashire resident species, that was only recognised as a separate species in 1970. The whiskered bat is an excellent predator of spiders, moths and other small insects, by the way.
There’s a quick guide to Lancahsire bat species here.
Would you like bats in your garden?
Bats eat insects, so the best places to find them are local nature reserves, canals, rivers, and cycle paths, and you may see them snatching insects from around street lights.
You can obviously encourage moths – and, hopefully, bats! – by dedicating part of your garden to wild flowers, which attract them. Find out more about how to do that here.
Please remember that in Britain, all bat species and their roosts are legally protected, by both domestic and international legislation.
Community Groups and Trusts
• The North Lancashire Bat Group
• The Friends of Williamson Park sometimes organise bat walks
• Barley Cop Woods Friends Group
• Friends of Greaves Park
• RSPB Leighton Moss is home to several different types of bat
• The Lancashire , Manchester and North Merseyside Wildlife Trust runs Heysham Nature Reserve and while it focuses more on visiting birds as a good reason to visit, bats are present, too
• The Lakeland Wildlife Oasis has fruit bats to see up close up, although they are not native, as well as lots of other great animals. They promote our native wildlife as well as other animals and birds. It’s a great place to visit.
• Nationally, the Bat Conservation Trust supports local bat groups across the UK and over 6000 members. They work with volunteers, scientists, industry and government both locally and nationally on a range of projects
Thanks to members of the Lancaster Past and Present Group on Facebook for some of the information above