Thursday, October 15, 2009

Ringby Lane (Swales Moor)

2 Snipe
20 Goldfinch
5 Linnet
43 Starling >N
25 Meadow Pipit
1 Little Owl

3 bat sp.. flying about high over Shibden Valley (above Lee Lane) catching insects - these totally threw me at first as from a distance they looked like Snipe in erratic flight once over, then through the binoculars like Swifts then Swallows till I got the scope on them. No idea what species of bat but they were quite large and flying at the height I would have expected Swifts to feed then diving down steeply to catch insects and going up high again to feed. Any ideas on sp..?
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7 comments:

Nick Carter said...

I think Hugh's your man for bats

4:31 pm
Nick Carter said...

I think Hugh's your man for bats

4:31 pm
Jeff Cox said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
5:21 pm
Jeff Cox said...

Sounds like a noctule bat as they fly quite high and swoop for insects but I'm no expert so I defer to Hugh's opinion.

5:45 pm
Steve Blacksmith said...

Sounds like Noctule to me, as well, David. They come out in the evening while it's still light, flying high and fast - Our biggest bat.
Hugh is chair of Yorkshire bat group,as well as Calderdale Chief Conservation Officer.
He is in the Calderdale Wildlife Network loop - a Yahoo Noticeboard. To get into that, contact its moderator,Colin Duke, chair of Hx.Scientific Soc. (He also volunteers in Hugh's dept - Countryside - at the council, where you can contact him.)
H.S.S. members are knowledgeable about botany, mycology, entomology, mammals and some are birders, though we don't have a website (yet).

8:42 pm
David Sutcliffe said...

Thanks for your comments - they were doing exactly that flying quite high and fast and swooping for insects in a dramatic dive. It was lunchtime - mid-day !

10:46 pm
Hugh Firman said...

Thanks for the report, Dave,

Yes almost certainly (99%) noctules or their close relative Leisler's. As pointed out, large size, high speed, flying high and steep dives are good pointers. If they fly close enough you may be able to hear their echo location calls (even my old lugholes can!)

Noctules usually roost in trees, Leisler's in buildings (often schools!) and trees. Noctules are quite common and widespread, Leisler's less so, though West Yorks seems to be something of a hotspot and they are underecorded.

I like to think of bats as noctural swifts but looks like these were out in the day to fatten up for hibernation.

Hugh Firman
Chair West Yorkshire Bat Group
01422 393214

1:04 pm

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