1997 No. 52 Part 1 - Bedfordshire Natural History Society

Bedfordshire Naturalist for 1997, No. 52 (Part 1) (1998)
55 kHz 'Brown' Pipistrelle
Confirmed records: 3 summer roosts
5 sightings
Unconfirmed records: 5 sightings
Summer roosts:
Three bat boxes were used at Stockgrove Country Park. Most boxes had one or two
bats, but a maximum ofat least six bats were noted.
Other records:
The confirmed sightings were all ofgrounded or injured bats: a lactating female from
Putnoe, Bedford, a juvenile male from Henlow; an injured female from Harrold, a catcaught
bat from Flitwick and a female in a swimming pool in Renhold.
The unconfinned sightings were all bats identified in flight from: Potton, Ickwell Bury,
OldWarden, Rushmere House at Stockgrove, and King's Wood, Heath and Reach.
Flying bats were also monitored at Stockgrove Country Park. 'Brown' pipistrelles
tended to be out earlier than 'bandit' pipistrelles.
Pipistrelles not identified to species
Confirmed records: 6 summer roosts
10 sightings
Unconfirmed records: 13 summer roosts
21 sightings
Summer roosts:
The confirmed roosts were:
A maternity roost of200+ bats in Great Barford which had a dead adult in the
-water tank and, in the loft, three dead.babies and a fourth baby that later died.
A maternity roost under the north-:facing eaves ofa house in Tempsford. There
were droppings in the loft against both the north and south ends, and a baby bat
was found in the house.
A maternity roost in a house in Aspley Heath which had live and dead babies
out ofthe roost.
A roost under the gable end ofa house in Bedford where a baby bat had to be
returned to the roost.
A roost in the loft ofa house in Aspley Guise where a mother and baby were
found in the kitchen, probably brought in by the cat. The baby died but the adult
was· released.
A roost in a house in Renhold where 40 dead bats were found in the roof._
The unconfirmed roosts were in:
Meppershall Church, the porch.ofMarston Moretaine church, under fascia boards on
a house in Kempston, a maternity roost in a house in Aspley Guise, under fascia boards
on a house in Shefford, a dead baby at a roost in a house in Bedford, and roostsc in three
almost adjacent houses in one street in Potton where 11 bats were counted out ofone
roost by the side ofa porch and another was under north-facing eaves.
Other records:
The confirmed sightings were grounded or injured bats, or baby bats where the
roosts could not be located. One baby was found in the conservatory ofa house in
Clapham and although there were a few droppings in the conservatory, a roost could
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