Guest blog, courtesy of Simon Cope, Chair of Montgomeryshire Bat Group...
The Nathusius' Pipistrelle is known to migrate long distances, with populations in Eastern Europe flying south and west for the breeding season. The resident population in the UK is boosted during the summer by these migrants, and they become especially obvious during the Autumn when the males establish 'lekking roosts' from which they spend many nocturnal hours
calling to attract females that are flying overhead. Although there have been occasional instances of Nathusius' Pip's in our neighbouring counties, they have never been detected in Montgomeryshire, until now!
During a survey near Newtown in the last week in September, a member of the Montgomeryshire Bat Group recorded a very special series of calls. In addition to the characteristic echolocation calls of Common and Soprano Pipistrelles, the sonogram included some with a peak frequency down at 38kHz. This was later confirmed by a national expert as our first record of a
Nathusius' Pipistrelle. As well as its rarity, the lack of previous records is probably also due to the low numbers of people listening, so the challenge now is to gather more records and to find some roosts - a process that is being carried out all over the UK with varying degrees of success. If you would like to get involved, please contact the Montgomeryshire Bat Group.
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| The sonogram which clinched it! |
