Posts Tagged ‘tree climbing’

Beeston Castle bat boxes and caves checked for hibernating bats

Monday, February 14th, 2011

Beeston Castle in Cheshire is home to a maternity colony of  Natterers bats during the summer months. The site also has several other species of bats which use the castle buildings, trees and caves to roost.

A search of the cave during 2010 found 1 hibernating Natterers bat towards the rear of the cave. Bat boxes were fitted into a number of trees at the same time by Cheshire bat group.

A check of the caves in early 2007 found 5 bats hibernating, 1 towards the rear of the cave in the same place as it was discovered last year and 4 others closer to the cave entrance. The bat boxes which were fitted in the trees were also checked. Some droppings were found in a few of the boxes but no hibernating bats. As the boxes are not hibernation boxes this is not really surprising. Bird droppings and nesting materials were found in several of the boxes.

We will return during the summer to check the tree boxes and hopefully get more positive results.

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Cheshire bat group at Beeston Castle

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Cheshire bat group have visited Beeston Castle in Cheshire to inspect the caves for hibernating bats and and to fit bat boxes onto the trees surrounding the castle. The bat group are working with English Heritage at the site to make improvements to the quality of the habitat surrounding the castle. Stewart from United environmental services helped out with the tree climbing and bat box installation

The castle supports a colony of natterers bats as well as noctules and pipistrelles. The different bat species all use different areas and features of the monument and its grounds  in different ways, and at different times of year.

The caves were man made and the walls are very smooth with few faults which can support hibernating bats. An inspection of the caves by the bat group revealed a single hibernating natterers bat tucked into a small fault in the rock. Herald moths were also seen in the caves and are considered an indicator of conditions suitable for hibernating bats.

Fitting the bat boxes into the trees proved an arduous task as on the day it was snowing quite heavily. The bat group did manage to fit 18 boxes into the trees with a further 12 boxes to be placed in the trees and 4 to be fitted in the caves at a later date.

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Installing Bat Hibernation Boxes in Cheshire

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Bat Hibernation boxes are fitted high in trees and this one was no exception.This mature beech tree was chosen because of its size location and stability.  Ropes were set up by Mike in order to climb the tree and then a small pulley was placed above the planned position of the hibernation box. Stewart then climbed the tree using the ropes. The pulley was tested for safety and then the bracket was nailed into position. The hibernation box which weighs 30kg was then hoisted up by Mike and Toby and hung in its final position roughly eight metres above the ground.

We hope to find noctule bats using this box next year as they were observed feeding very close by during a survey last summer. Soprano pipistrelles and Brown long eared bats were also recorded at the time and pipistrelles may well use the box when they find it. It is always a good approach to install extra bat roosts around any development even if no bats are to be affected by it. This can help all species of bats as they require many different roosts at different times of the year.

We also fitted hibernation boxes into the walls of the extension. And fitted bat access tiles into the new roof to allow access to the void beneath the tiles for crevice dwelling bats such as pipistrelles.

Stewart.

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