Last month, on 23rd August, we went to our local Hill Hook Nature Reserve to attend the Bat and Moth evening. The friends of the Hill Hook Nature Reserve host two sessions each year to educate the local people about different species of Bats and Moths and the roles they play in our ecosystem.
This was our first time attending and we did not know what to expect. We found this session very educational and would definitely attend again. As the night falls dark very soon, it is best to wear something warm. There were a lot of insects hanging around waiting for their next victim.
During this session, Richard, the local moth expert showed us his moth trap with rain guard and lights and a range of moths he found in his garden. The moths (kept in a small plastic bottle) were later released once everyone had seen them. It was fascinating to know that some of the moths can be really pretty like a butterfly.
After the moth session, Lisa and Simon from BrumBats talked about different species of bats, including some fun facts abouts bats and the sounds they made. They also demonstrated how to use bat detectors before everyone moved on to watch/detect Hill Hook’s bats in flight across and around the mill pool. There were many Common Pipistrelles, Soprano Pipistrelles and Noctule Bats in flight and feeding.
I did not have the opportunity to take a photo of the bat detector. I will update you next time when we go again. The next sessions will be next year in May. If you are local to Hill Hook Nature Reserve, do check out their Facebook for more information.
