A great bat walk at Fleet Pond

We had another wonderful evening on Friday's Bat Wlk at Fleet pond with a good turn out of over 20 keen adults and children. Rangers Rachel and Izzy guided them around Fleet Pond which again did not disappoint and with a warm dry evening there was plenty of bat activity throughout. What a brilliant place Fleet pond is for bats! Along the woodland paths we saw and heard Pippistrelles and possibly Brown long-eared bats. This bat has a faint call and exceptionally sensitive hearing, tricky to spot by eye as it often fly's high in the tree foliage. Then around the far side of the pond closer to the waters edge we had an impressive display from Daubentons. These bats are know as 'water bats' as they swoop down across the waters edge using their large feet or tail to catching insects on the waters surface. We could hear the echolocation 'raspberry bursts' on the bat detectors they make when they are very close to and catch an insect. We followed their flight patterns across the water with our torches.