What’s in the Box?!

This afternoon we started checking our bat boxes with help from members of local Bat Groups and some of our volunteers. Thank you to all!

One of our finds was this common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus – he (yes, it was a he!) could be identified in the hand as a common rather than a soprano pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, by his wing venation and the colour of his buccal glands (cheek pouches).

These two species of pipistrelle were only identified as being separate species in the 1990s, with the easiest way to tell them apart being through their echolocation calls; the common pipistrelle typically having a peak echolocation frequency of around 45kHz and the soprano pipistrelle at around 55kHz.

Bat boxes are also sometimes used by species other than bats – a dramatic find being this (beautiful) old wasp nest which had completely filled the box!

If you want to find out more about bats try the Bat Conservation Trust's website at: http://www.bats.org.uk/