Bats through Winter

[britnik]

I am still trying to take a decent picture of a bat so a couple of questions if I may.

Of the UK bat species do they all hibernate through winter or is there still a chance of seeing them during warmer spells.

Is there a time in spring when they are generally out of hibernation.

Am I OK to use flash while taking pictures of them flying in the open. I wouldn't attempt to disturb them whilst roosting. Any tips on bat photography. Break beam sensors are out for now.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by britnik

Of the UK bat species do they all hibernate through winter or is there still a chance of seeing them during warmer spells.

Yes all British bats hibernate, there is some variance between species in winter activity. They often move roost or forage during prolonged warmer periods. As a rule activity is low and you would have to be either in a large roost or get very lucky to realistically see one in winter. Pipistrellus & noctule forage over warm winter periods, brown long-eared often change roost. A lot depends on winter temperatures, autumn temperatures and autumn food supply. Every winter will differ slightly. As well as your location in Britain

Originally Posted by britnik

Is there a time in spring when they are generally out of hibernation.

Depends on location, altitude, habitat and temperatures. My first bat was in March this year (in East Yorkshire) but it was quite a warm spring. April as night temperatures start to rise would be a good start.

Originally Posted by britnik

Am I OK to use flash while taking pictures of them flying in the open.

They are sensitive to light but in the open it is probably not going to cause to many problems.

Originally Posted by britnik

I wouldn't attempt to disturb them whilst roosting. Any tips on bat photography.

You would be breaking the law, so this is a serious no no, unless you have a roost license.



The best advice I can give is get a bat detector and find a foraging area with high activity levels, such as a pond, lake, sheltered woodland meadow etc and try there. I can imagen bat flight photography is going to be easy, god luck.

[britnik]

Thanks for the answers Dogghound.

[toadpole]

Dogghound perhaps you could answer a question for me please about 8 yrs ago i noticed i had pippistrelle bats that were roosting under the hang tiles above my bedroom window ....this was in the summer and they were obviously using this as a nursery site, as twice i found 2 little babies in my bedroom 1 hanging on my bath towel and another on my carpet ...they were both ok and i left them on a towel by the open window and watched them fly off this summer roost continued for about 5 years and i informed my local bat lady ....i sat and counted them one evening flying out and got to 65 !!!! the last 3 years they have not used my tiles but for months now i still see 1 or 2 ? pippastrelles every night flying in a circle around my house and hunting by the street light and then by my outside light in the back garden ...they seem to very well fed and stocky little bats ....then about 3 weeks ago i just happened to be sitting outside at dusk and saw 1 emerge from the same old roost site ...well i was sooo excited that they were coming from my house so i have been noting the time and have most days been out way before dusk waiting to see if it was just the 1 or if there were more..... well after 3 weeks it seems to be only 3 bats that emerge each night ....so would my house be a winter roost for them now and would they be perhaps lone males ??or do you think its a late summer roost and they will move on somewhere else? any info would be greatly received ...thank you Marion

[Dogghound]

The first thing to consider is that Pipistrelle maternity roosts often change place from year to year in particular common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle tend to be a little more loyal to a roost and keep visiting for many years. Common pipistrelle can move maternity roost for no apparent reason, or often disturbance causes them to move.

Pipistrelles usually start to hibernate around late October/November to early December depending on where you are in Britain and what the local temperatures are like (Usually mid-November here). These roosts are made up of mixed sexed and mixed aged individuals so there is no reason to assume that they are males. In the summer the maternity colonies are made up of females with immature males present, mature males roost away from these sites.

In the autumn roosting pipistrelle bats become very unpredictable as they lack any real loyalty to roost sites and can use a different site each night, each couple of days or or for several weeks. You also get breeding roosts in autumn, in which a male defends it against other males and attracts females into it, to mate.

Originally Posted by toadpole

....so would my house be a winter roost for them now and would they be perhaps lone males ??or do you think its a late summer roost and they will move on somewhere else? any info would be greatly received ...thank you Marion

In answer to the questions, yes it could be a winter roost (although without seeing the house and its features its hard to say), pipistrelles most commonly hibernate within buildings especially occupied ones, particularly in roof voids and wall cavities, sometimes externally under tiles if its sheltered. These roosts comprise of both sexes so there may be females there too. Pipistrelles often have hibernacula and maternity roosts close together or sometimes within the same roost site so its hard to say if its an old maternity roost, most maternity colonies disperse by August. However if you did not see them through the summer, it could just be a temporary autumn or winter roost. They are often late going into hibernation so could stay in an autumn roost as late as early December then move to a different site and hibernate. It keeps me occupied trying to find their roosts.

[toadpole]

thank you dogghound for a very quick and interesting reply ....what surprising little characters they are 2 of them definately came out from under the hang tiles last night and the third came from behind the fascia board ...i have seen a blue tit roost under that same board last year so must be a safe warm place also 2 blue tits roosted under 2 different hang tiles as well ...its lovely going to bed at night knowing there is wildlife SO close to you even when your sleeping ....very comforting i think ..i just love it .....thanks again marion