A RARE bat is spreading its wings by moving into the heart of Lincolnshire – and it could be here for the long-term.
The Forestry Commission has revealed that the barbastelle bat – long regarded as a southern English species – has been found on its estate in Chambers Farm Wood, near Wragby.
Now a project is underway to see if the creature has established a breeding colony, which could signal that it's putting down permanent roots.The initial discovery was made using an electronic detector which captured the unique frequency of the barbastelle's echo location system.
That led to the Forestry Commission, Lincolnshire Bat Group and Vincent Wildlife Trust installing 100 special boxes in the 360-hectare (900-acre wood) in a bid to shed light on the newcomer by offering roosts which could be monitored.Andrew Powers, from the Forestry Commission, said: "The bat has also been found in other nearby woodlands, including Cocklode, which like Chambers is part of the Bardney Limewoods.
"It seems to be spreading north, which could be in response to the generally warmer climate. Chambers is also a sensitively managed wood providing a good range of habitats.
"Its discovery means we now have nine bat species in the wood, which is great news because in many places they are in decline.
"The UK population of barbastelles is estimated at 5,000 individuals and, because of its rarity, it has its own species action plan.
The strange name 'barbastelle' is derived from the Latin for 'star beard' and refers to the delicate beard of frosted white hairs radiating from its lower lip. It has a squat face giving it a 'pug-like' appearance.
Project leader Dave Hughes, Lincoln University postgraduate research student and principal ecologist at Lincoln-based Ecological Consultancy, ESL, said they were hoping to find a local maternity roost.
"So far this year I've caught three females in Chambers Farm Wood and fitted a radio transmitter to one of these which allowed me to track her movements for 10 days," he said.
"The other two bats had previously mated so it could be that we're getting close to finding a local maternity roost."
Alison Sandilands
http://www.horncastlenews.co.uk/news/Scientists-go-batty-after-rare.5435710.jp
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