News update | Bat Hibernacula installation at Withymead

Bat hibernacula installation at Withymead

We are delighted to report that a project to install a network of insulated colony bat boxes has been completed at Withymead, thanks to the support of a Mend the Gap grant. The boxes provide suitable habitation for Noctule bats that are under increasing threat following extensive tree felling across the region due to Ash Dieback.

The Noctule is one of the UK’s largest bats with a wingspan of 40cm and is almost solely dependent on trees for roosting which are used all year round, where they have a preference for woodpecker holes. To compensate for the loss of natural roosting sites, 3 large Schwegler 1FW insulated bat boxes were installed in a triangle within a stand of large Sycamore trees. These augment several other bat boxes across the reserve, and are also suitable for Daubenton’s bats (that will naturally co-habit with Noctule’s) and Brown Long Eared colonies.

The Boxes have been attached at a height of four metres and are made from woodcrete, a mixture of cement and wood fibres that offer good insulation and rot resistance. Weighing in at 28kg they were installed using a combination of ladders and lifting tackle with the help of volunteers with tree climbing experience.

We have recorded the presence of Noctules (along with 9 other species of bats) from BBOWT Hartslock Nature Reserve all along the Thames Valley to Withymead Nature Reserve, culminating in 4 nights of data logging last August. On a late summer evening Noctule’s can be seen foraging for insects high up in the sky, sometimes amongst Swifts.

These colony boxes with provide a safe and undisturbed refuge throughout the year for decades to come for this remarkable species.

The vision of the Mend the Gap programme is that the outstanding landscape that links the Chilterns and the North Wessex Downs will be enhanced for and enriched for wildlife, residents and visitors, helping to heal and soften the scars left by electrification of the Great Western main line. We are immensely grateful for their support.

Image credits | Noctule bat, Kamran Safi, CC A-S A 4.0 I; Noctule bat held in hands: Andy Cruse; Installation: Pete Morton