We have now done all three roost visits planned for the tunnel and the results have been written up and passed to Elspeth Ingelby at NYMNP. We found both Myotis and Common pipistrelle bats using the tunnel on the main three visits and a final check of the tunnel found a Brown long-eared bat roosting on the ceiling. The data from the spring/summer visits seems to ask as many questions as it answers and there are indications that the bats may even be using the tunnel as a ‘route through’. Certainly there is no ‘major’ roost present but it is being well used. The winter hibernation visits did not add anything to the single record we have from 2016 of a single bat hibernating there. We will wait and see what proposals come forward for the future of the tunnel but thanks to the help of all the volunteers we now at least have a much better knowledge of its use by bats. Thanks to everyone involved.
Monthly Archives: April 2018
Rosedale walk 21st April 2018
Six people headed off on the Rosedale walk to look for Ring ouzel and Redstart. From the car park Red grouse were calling and throughout the day were plentiful and amazingly tame. A lot of displaying and chasing and calling by numerous males were witnessed. Surprisingly there were no Wheatear present around the kilns but it was not long before we found two males in pristine condition on a meadow. At the same time a Redstart was singing from the hanging woodlands but refused to show itself. While attracted to the Redstart a pair of Ring ouzels were spotted at the far end of the meadow, Rob picking up their distant song. Before we could get really close they were disturbed by some other walkers and cyclists but did not go far and we then closed up and had better views. An odd call was bothering us which we eventually confirmed as the call of a Ring ouzel when later in the day we watched on calling from a clump of heather. As we walked a further pair of Ring ouzel was then detected further north with much better views. Golden plover were calling and a singleton and a pair were seen as we progressed along the track and a further pair of Ring ouzels flew out of some rushes to the east of the track. Greylag geese came flying over from the south, not quite a moorland bird! Just as we approached our lunch stop near the mine shaft it started to rain and waterproofs were donned. During lunch a Sparrowhawk put in a brief appearance on the southern crest of the hill. The walk was a bit swifter in the wind and rain but stopped before we got back to the cars giving us ample time for further good views of Ring ouzel, one of which had a yellow ring on its left leg. Redstarts were again singing but as before there was no sign of them. A great day out.
Reptile day Cropton Forest 8th April 2018
I think we were all thrilled at the wonderful day in Cropton. Andrew and his friends with a few additional SFNS eyes found total of 38 male adders, 2 Slowworms and a juvenile Lizard despite the weather not being ideal. The colour variation in the adders was quite dramatic from almost black to a pale green/cream background. The colder weather seems to have kept the Lizards and Slowworms a bit lethargic and had not come out to ‘sun’ themselves. Apart from the reptiles frog spawn was found in many of the shallow pools and wheel ruts and a male toad almost got stood on. The birds were also quite impressive with a quite good numbers of Siskin and Repoll, including a flock of 40-50 of the latter species. We were surprised to have a Raven cr0aking mid morning and the day was rounded off with a chattering Goshawk and also a group of 11 Crossbills, including 2 juveniles, that came and sat in a small dead tree right above our Well done Andrew – we thought we would be lucky if we saw 2 or 3!
