Walking with Bats

Sunset at the bat walk

On the 17th of June, my friend Miseria, my mother and I went to Berry Head National Nature Reserve to take part in a bat walk, which was organised by the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust. The event began at 8:15pm, but we arrived early, so we decided to walk along the coastline and take some photos of the surrounding area beforehand.

The view of the coastline

Guillemots

My mother

At around 8pm, we went to the visitors centre to meet with the guides and the rest of the group before the beginning of the event. We got to see into a bat cave on a night vision camera, whilst we had a talk about horseshoe bats (greater & lesser), including where they live, what they eat, how they behave (they're apparently the only species of microbats that hang upside down!). We were also given the opportunity to ask questions. 

The main guide told us lots of information about bat conservation as well, including the fact that all bats are protected in the UK. Apparently, there is a really large population of horseshoe bats in Devon, comparatively, so it's an important roosting area for them. We were also given information leaflets about both species of bats, which went into a little more detail into some things. 

After telling the group that we would probably see greater horseshoe, lesser horseshoe, and pipistrelle bats, the guides explained that we'd be listening to the bat echolocation ultrasound through "bat detectors". Each type of bat emits a different frequency of ultrasound and so the detectors are tuned into one type at a time. Although Horseshoe bats do use echolocation, they use it in a different way to any other type of bat, using their famous "horseshoe"-shaped noses to disperse the sound in a different shape and direction than other bats do. 

Following this talk, we headed to a nearby cow field in order to look for some dung beetles, as this is what horseshoe bats mainly feed on. The Coast and Countryside Trust manages the fields and hedgerows in the local area, so they can make sure that the wildlife have the best environment possible. Also, the grass is kept a reasonable length because of the grazing cows, so there's no need to bring potentially harmful machinery into the fields.

The friendly & curious cows

A dung beetle in a specimen pot

As soon as we arrived in the field, the cows approached us and we got to pet them for a little bit, which was a nice bonus! Then the two assistant guides put on gloves and went to gather some cow dung and started looking for beetles. Whilst this was happening, the other guide told us more about bat habitats, land management, the types of beetles (and other things) that the bats eat, and the life cycles of those things.

Once the two assistants had found some beetles, they took them around the group in specimen pots and showed us them individually, up close. They also answered any questions we had, too; it was really interesting to learn more about the bats and beetles. 

Next, we walked to a path/road near the hedgerows where we were going to watch the bats. We were told some last minute extra information about bats and given another chance to ask questions. We were then told the guidelines for how to behave once we got to the area with the bats, in order both not to disturb them and also to get the best result out of the bat-watching.

We all went and sat in a line, on the grass verge of a roadside, with hedgerows bordering the front and back of us. The guides gave some of us, including Miseria, bat detectors. They set some of them to detect pipistrelles and some to set greater horseshoes and explained that later during the evening they would set all of them to greater horseshoes, as the pipistrelles would probably stop appearing then.

Miseria's bat detector was set to pipistrelles and they began to appear almost immediately, flying in and out of the hedgerows around 1-2 metres above the ground. Their ultrasound frequency sounded like high-pitched clicks/beeps and they flew really close to us, almost bumping into us sometimes!

After around half an hour, the guides changed the bat detector frequency to the greater horseshoes and they started to appear around 10 minutes later. They had a completely different sound to them; much deeper and more like a pulsing sound, compared to the clicking. They flew very close to the ground and swooped upwards towards the end of each flight pass (it seemed like they did, at least). Even after the detector had been set to greater horseshoes, there were still a few pipistrelles flying back and forth too.

The bat watching concluded at around 10:30pm. Altogether, we saw approximately 20-25 bats that evening, which was apparently really good because sometimes they don't see any at all! It was a such an informative and interesting evening and seeing so many bats was wonderful!

Miseria, my mother, and I stayed around the area for a little longer, as Miseria and I wanted to take some more photos. We left at nearly 11pm in the end, haha.

The Moon

Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust are running bat walks at Berry Head until late August, so if you're interested in going to one, check their website bat walks page for more information. (You don't need to be a member, but you do need to book a place in advance!). 

Living Coasts Part 1/3: Meeting the Penguins & Other Beautiful Sea Birds

Living Coasts

Last Monday (9th), it was rather cloudy, rainy and cold. For this reason, it seemed like the perfect day to go and see some beautiful marine life at Living Coasts, the coastal zoological gardens in my town, with my friend, Miseria Van Dahl, and my mother. Before I go any further, I just want to point out that this isn't a sponsored post; I just find animals endlessly fascinating and love being around water! As you can see from the photo above, the park is situated right next to the coast, which - in addition to being scenic - must help to provide additional sensory stimulation in the environment of the animals that reside topside as well, I would imagine.

Me and a "baby penguin"

In the entrance hall, there were some models of little icebergs surrounding two large models of baby penguins, so of course I had to pose with one! There was also a "face-in-hole" picture stand, featuring seals, penguins, & Inca terns, as well as various themed stencils/murals on the surrounding walls.

As we walked further into building, we went through a corridor decorated with seashell imprints, paintings/murals, models suspended from the ceiling, photos and information. The lighting was also in shades of green and blue, and sounds of the sea played atmospherically in the background, which almost gave the short walk into the main building the feel of like a trip into another world.

The corridor opened out into a room with an educational area about great auks - birds that, much like the dodo, died out due to human interference. However, unlike the dodo, the great auks were hunted to extinction (in the 19th century) because their feathers were used in down pillows, rather than them being a food source.

Once past the educational area, there were large viewing windows that allowed us to see out into part

Watching puffins and guillemots 

of an underwater enclosure that the tufted puffins and common guillemots shared. Seeing them dive and swoop around in the water was quite mesmorising.

Every so often a gate to the left hand side of the water would open and a create a mini-"wave", which the birds seem to really enjoy. This was so nice to see, not only because it mimicked something that they would experience in the wild, but also because they seemed to be having fun too!

A tufted puffin diving into the water

"Please do not touch the penguins"

After we spent a while watching the puffins and guillemots swooping around, we moved through a door that had the sign to the right outside it. This is because the penguins who had eggs occasionally crossed the visitor paths at feeding times - under the watchful eyes of the keepers - so it was essential that the rules were established before entering. (However, I found the sign amusing for another reason entirely, which people who know me will understand, haha).



As the sign implied, the next area led out into the area called "Penguin Beach", which is home to Living Coasts' macaroni and African penguins. The first part of this area is the large, deep pool, which the birds seemed to enjoy swimming, floating, and diving in. Also, just like in the puffin and guillemot pool, there were simulated "waves" in this one periodically too.

A macaroni penguin

A macaroni penguin preening

An African penguin

There were various other species of birds flying & fluttering around in the air and water too. These included: kittiwakes (red-legged and black-legged species), eider ducks (spectacled and king), Inca terns, and even some native sparrows & thrushes that had crept in through the high nets that were erected over the outdoor enclosure. (And, in case you're wondering: no, those nets won't damage any birds that fly into them, because of the way they're constructed).

Penguin Beach and the high nets

Spectacled eider ducks (female & male)

The main "beach" part of Penguin Beach was a lovely din of "gaw"-ing and "gak"-ing penguins!

Penguin Beach

Macaroni penguins

Some were huddling together, some stood with their wings out & heads in the air, some were collecting rocks/sticks, making little practise nests, some were preening, some were waddling down to the water to swim/play, and some were resting in the little shelters dotted around in the sand for them.

You might notice that in the photos some of them look like they're losing their feathers, but don't worry, this is normal. The keepers/visitor guides explained that the penguins whose feathers look brilliant white/shiny black had just moulted and regrown their feathers, whereas the ones whose feathers looked dirty/patchy had yet to complete the process.

Penguins (African & a macaroni) crossing
to nesting / food sites, with
spectacled eider ducks & an Inca tern

African penguins

At feeding time, we got to learn a little bit more about each species, as well as the individual penguins who live at Living Coasts. It turns out that a female from a pair of breeding macaroni penguins had just laid an egg that morning! The male of the pair, is also the largest penguin of all, was "babysitting" when we saw them.

Millie and Ceebee with their egg, in a rocky nest

Next, we left Penguin Beach and headed up to Auk Cove, which was home to bank cormorants, tufted puffins, Inca terns, and common guillemots. As all of these birds are flighted birds, however, they were free to fly wherever they pleased over Penguin Beach and Auk Cove.

Bank cormorant

An Inca tern perching on a mossy rock

Common guillemots & tufted puffins

This was the pool that we had watched them diving into at the beginning of the visit; we saw a few of them diving in at various intervals and it was great to watch it from above!

Wave simulator: out

Wave simulator: in

Later on in our visit, there was another chance to observe the penguins; this time they were underwater. They were much more agile and swift in the water and seemed to really enjoy the freedom of speeding through the pool!

An African penguin swimming 

In addition to underwater viewing windows, there was also a lot of information about the seventeen types of penguins that live in the wild and the animals that share their habitat, plus various penguin-themed decorations:

Pingu: "Nok-nok!"

Penguins in height order from little penguins to
emperor penguins (part 1)

Penguins in height order from little penguins to
emperor penguins (part 2)

King Penguin
(Another photo I had to take for my
own amusement)

Not sure what this was, but it was cute

Penguin money collection box

That's it for part 1/3 of my trip to Living Coasts! Next up: Elegant wading birds, adorable otters, and playful seals!