Mighty midge-eating pipistrelles, 2g-bumblebees and heading out with bat detectors – James Bunyan’s recent bat talk was an adventure for all ages!
Wow, what a fantastic and lively evening at the Conservation Hub! At the end of August, we invited interested folk along to meet bat expert and FHT supporter James Bunyan for a magical evening dedicated to Findhorn’s winged creatures of the dark.
Over 40 people came along to learn more about these intricate little mammals. James Bunyan, from Tracks Ecology, gave a brilliant and engaging introduction to bats – starting with a worldwide overview before narrowing in on the species found here in the UK and around Findhorn.
James’s presentation was filled with fascinating facts. Did you know that:
- bats find their food by emitting ultrasonic sounds through their nose and mouth and listening for the echo – a process called echolocation?
- bats are indicator species, meaning they respond quickly to changes in habitat and land use?
- all bats are protected by UK law?
- a pipistrelle bat can eat several thousand midges in a single night?
- the world’s smallest bat, the bumblebee bat, weighs just 2 grams?
- bats find their food by emitting ultrasonic sounds through their nose and mouth and listening for the echo – a process called echolocation?
James emphasised that having a wide variety of habitats for bats to forage in is very important, underlining the value of the Hinterland Trust’s habitat management work.
Just as James wrapped up, some of the children in the audience started squealing with excitement – bats were flying right around the Hub! ‘Seeing and hearing the kids so excited about seeing a bat made my night,’ one participant commented afterwards.
We then headed out with bat detectors to listen in and identify species – mostly soprano and common pipistrelle were active that night – on a short walk to Pineridge and the Woodside neighbourhood, finishing at the viewpoint bench near Duneridge.
To top it all off, the moon rose just before the lunar eclipse, adding a little extra magic to the night.
Looking ahead, next year we will be giving the bats a helping hand. James has kindly left us a simple design for bat boxes, which we will be building from offcuts of our own wind-blown timber. We are very much looking forward to making these boxes together with pupils from Forres Academy – a hands-on conservation activity that will also help raise awareness of these fascinating creatures among the next generation.
