There are eight species of bat in Northern Ireland and all are protected by law. There are also Biodiversity Action Plans for the bats - suggested ways of ensuring that the present population can survive and flourish into the future. The two-year bat conservation project, funded by the Environment and Heritage Service and the National Trust in Northern Ireland, aims to promote and implement those Action Plans. This will be achieved in part by setting up partnerships with others involved in bats, such as the Northern Ireland Bat Group, Queens University Belfast, the Ulster Wildlife Trust and Belfast Zoo.
Part of the project will involve surveying National Trust properties for bats and offer advice on how things can be improved for these threatened species. It is hoped to use properties where bats are successful as best practice examples for others, especially land-owners outside the National Trust.
Of the eight bat species present in Northern Ireland, two are of special importance - Leisler’s bat and Nathusius’ pipistrelle. The former is widespread here, but has become scarce or uncommon in many areas of Europe. The latter has at least eight summer roosts known here, yet there are only a couple recorded across the rest of the UK. Special efforts will be made to survey, then monitor, these two important species.
Daubenton’s bats are found across most waters (they feed on aquatic insects), and common and soprano pipistrelles are widespread, too. Whiskered and Natterer’s bats are always scarce, but present in all areas, particularly in woodland. Brown long-eared bats are widespread, too, but tend to be restricted to older buildings, parkland and wooded areas.
For information on the bat project, please contact Phil Richardson, Bat Project Officer on PRichabat@aol.com.
|
