Visitors were lucky enough to come face to face with that elusive night time creature, the bat, on an evening walk around the lake at Bwlch Nant yr Arian.
During the leisurely stroll led by Leigh Denyer, a Forestry Commission Wales education ranger, visitors saw a number of bats flittering around the lakeside, including Serotine, one of the UK’s largest bats, and Pipistrelle, the UK’s smallest.
Bwlch Nant yr Arian, which is managed by Forestry Commission Wales on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government, provides the perfect habitat for these flying mammals. The woodland edge offers ideal roosting conditions and there is plenty of food in the form of the insects that are attracted to the lake.
Bats communicate on a special wavelength, usually inaudible to humans, and each species of bat has their own wavelength. During the walk, Leigh was able to identify the different species of bat with the help of a bat detector, a device that translates the bats’ unique language of echo location.
Leigh Denyer, Education Ranger for Forestry Commission Wales, said, “Unfortunately, bats are a species on the decline so a bat walk like the one at Bwlch Nant yr Arian is the ideal way to create awareness of this fantastic night-time species and explain to visitors what they can do to help bats.”
There are currently 18 different species of bat living in the UK. They are protected by law but their populations have declined dramatically in recent years, mainly due to habitat loss.
Leigh added, “People can help bats by erecting bat boxes and creating ponds. Bat boxes give a safe place for them to roost and can sometimes home up to 40 of them whilst ponds are perfect for attracting insects and moths, on which the bats feed.”
To find out more about bats, visit the Bat Conservation Trust’s website which gives information on how to become a member and how to help these amazing but vulnerable mammals. The website is www.bats.org.uk and the free National Bat Helpline can be reached on 0845 1300 228.
