BATS IN SOUTH LONDON BOROUGH'S BY ALISON FURE RECENT NEWS   Natural England will be withdrawing from giving comments on protected species casework from the end of September. They’re currently working to build capacity within local authorities to undertake this work (sic).    Stage 2 of the consultation is in progress. Guidance is  is currently in draft format and gives information on how much detail should be expected towards the submission of  a planning application (details in link below). http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/regions/south_east/ourwork/standingadvice/protectedspecies/standingadviceconsultation/default.aspx It will be up to us to try to monitor the larger apps affecting bats in our region. We can point Local Planning Authorities to the standing guidance on bats, tucked away on their (N.E.) website.I attach a PDF to keep on your desktop to pass on. Note that there is some mention of Light Pollution within the guidance. Bats-NE Standing advice draft.pdf LOCAL BATS Based on recent information from surveys, emergency call outs and roost visits, author's opinion is that Richmond has more bat roosts of a greater number of species (11) than any borough south of the river. This includes roosts in buildings, structures and trees. Whilst there are fewer roosts in neighbouring Kingston and  of less species (5) it is possible that here, some of the largest soprano pipistrelle roosts are encountered (250+). Kingston lacks many of the features found in the neighbouring boroughs of Richmond and Merton. In particular, it lacks older trees, which develop cracks and voids which can be of interest to Nyctalus and Myotis bat species. Open space in Kingston is often linear and narrow (along rivers Hogsmill, Bonesgate and Tolworth brook) where light pollution is the enemy, particularly for Myotis and Plecotus species of bat.   Flat Roofs This year and last, many of my roost visits (including where bats were discovered TOO LATE during re-roofing) were to FLAT ROOFS. The majority of large soprano roosts are found in FLAT ROOFS. Why are surveys rarely requested for FLAT ROOFS? My object here is to raise awareness of the problem and I have posted videos from the Kingston and Richmond areas to show bats emerging from FLAT ROOFS.   Why are FLAT ROOFS so popular with bats? Mainly because they are hot all day long. If you know you have a roost in your FLAT ROOF, please keep your cats (or the neighbours cats) off the FLAT ROOF. Cats are the most common predator of bats and they can kill a whole roost by waiting for them to leave or re-enter a FLAT ROOF.   Bats in the borough 2008 Several new roosts were found this year in a variety of places ranging from trees to houses. These were mostly belonging to  pipistrelle bats and a large soprano roost (160) was discovered near Barnes Common. This may be the same mobile roost which had moved from a tower block in Putney 2006. A survey in Richmond town centre during the Summer found several species of bat feeding all through the night. Of interest was the appearance of Leisler's bats close to dawn suggesting a nearby tree roost. A tree roost was found in a public park where bats where using old woodpecker holes. Due to the lateness of the  year it was likely to be a winter roost site. These are not often found.  During the Summer  whiskered/Brandt's bats were recorded on a regular basis at a location near Bushy Park. This species is rarely recorded in our region although they are reported at Richmond Park from time to time.

This juvenile Daubenton was found with a wing injury near Bushy Park and a few cat injured pipistrelles were brought into care this year.  Bat Bricks - now available! London Bat Group has been working in partnership with Ibstock Brick Ltd to produce a brick suitable for bat use in their winter quarters. The bricks are available at cost (free to unfunded groups) together with an undertaking to provide photographs of the brick installed and an occasional monitoring report. Bulk orders can be made at cost price with a pro-forma available to order at numerous builders merchant. Bricks can be fixed into pill boxes, ice wells, conduits or culverts using a bonding agent or cement. These pictures demonstrate their use in culverts (Kingston upon Thames) although they are of a slightly different design to LBG’s. They will need cleaning once or twice a year to remove spider’s webs and debris.     Bats and Lighting Efforts are taking place to try and replace the lighting along parts of the river in Twickenham. Ideally there should be no light spillage onto the water where bats are feeding. Light monitoring at intervals along this location shows that there are many different sources of light pollution, sometimes beyond the tollerance of many bat species. Rivers are designated corridors for wildlife but then this designation is not managed in any way. Rivers should be maintained as dark corridors to be suitable for wildlife movement. There are several new types of lighting bollard designed to reduce upward light pollution. The example above was seen in a park in Islington.   Batty Boat Trips This year we ran the Thames boat trip in June 2008 (for the third year running) and again there were good displays of noctule bats near the Teddington Lock and Daubenton's and Natterer's bat along Barge walk. We are currently monitoring the Regent's Canal as it passes through north London as it is a good method of obtaining data, particularly on Daubenton's bat, which is a species we are concerned about in the London Region. This bat may be affected by the increase in light pollution as we increasingly develop canal and riversides. Get in touch if you want to book a place on a boat trip by telephoning 020 8974 6670 or look for details on the London Bat Group website.     Hampton Court Park Bat Walk As part of the Hampton Court Open Weekend May 2007, an evening bat walk was undertaken in the park with twenty members of the public who were treated to a rare peak inside the ice house. We waited patiently for bats to emerge after sunset and, just as were about to give up hope, a stream of noctule bats appeared. Three foraged over the park grassland while the rest flew towards the river Thames.    Richmond Park Winter Bat Surveys 2006 Richmond Park, Isabella Plantation 19 April 2006 Three of us entered the Isabella Plantation at sunset to the usual calls of tawny owls (8pm, temperature averaging 13 degrees). Flowering plants were a spectacular sight and the large yellow arum-like skunk cabbage lining the brook, gave an impression of a far more exotic location. The abundance of these spring flowering shrubs should be an indicator of good insect availability for bats. We spread out and took recordings of bats encountered. The activity was less concentrated than that of our winter visit but we still had passes of 5/6 species. This time brown long eared were not in evidence but we did record a Leisler’s. At the Ham Gate exit at 9.45pm, a Daubenton's bat was seen feeding over the pond. This makes a total of 7 species recorded in the Isabella: Pipistrelle pygmaeus (most commonly encountered species and most likely roosting in the plantation) Common Pipistrelle Brown long-eared Daubenton's Natterer’s Myotis unidentified species Leisler's bat Serotine    Richmond Park, Isabella Plantation 15 February 2006 Two of us entered the sheltered environment within the Isabella Plantation at sunset (17.16pm). The plantation has a number of winter-flowering trees and plants such as lots of Hamamelis. This is a type of witch hazel probably H. x intermedia ‘Pallida’, which has sulphur yellow blooms that glow in winter light. The 5/8” long flowers are yellow and fragrant, borne in clusters along the stem of these small trees and curl up in cold weather. Heathers are also in flower and the Isabella is generously planted with them. All these are attractive to insects including large night flying moths, which in turn, are important prey items for bats. We encountered five or six species of bat enjoying a brief respite from the winter weather. Two pipistrelle species were the first to emerge at around 5 minutes past six. Brown long-eared bats were flying low around the bushes, chasing large moths, one of which flew painfully into my eye. Several Natterer’s were encountered and one serotine. We had to leave the park by 8pm as the deer cull was taking place. No further bats were encountered on our exit, neither in the park, nor the pond on Ham Common. It is likely that by now bats had returned to their roosts, as at this time of year emergence does not normally last very long.    Alison Fure South London Bat Group Contact for the London Bat Group