Woodland Myotis Project
Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend Bat Group & Cardiff Bat Group UK Bat Species
18 species of bat in the UK (7 Genera):
• Nyctalus – 2 species
• Eptesicus – 1 species
• Pipistrellus – 3 species
• Barbastellus – 1 species
• Plecotus – 2 species
• Myotis – 7 species
• Rhinolophus – 2 species
40% of UK bat species are Myotis 2019 – Alcathoe confirmed at a swarming site What are the Myotis Bats? ID Features: Plain faced bat Long pointy tragus No post calcarial lobe
Very difficult to identify by acoustic methods
UK Species: Bristol university • Daubenton’s Bat
• Natterer’s Bat
• Greater Mouse Eared Bat*
• Bechstein’s Bat*
• Brandt’s Bat
• Alcathoe Bat (2010)
Swarming Project
• Autumn swarming Project ‘Where large numbers of males and females gather from late summer to autumn. Appear to be important mating sites’ – NE definition Often large numbers of Myotis bats involved, peak activity 3-4 hours after sunset, bats travel for 60km from nursery roosts to swarming sites in Yorkshire (Rivers et al 2006)
No known sites in Cardiff/VOG/Bridgend Searching for potential sites – VERY labour intensive!
• Monthly Tree surveys in Bridgend – first Natterer’s tree roost record Is there an easier way to find swarming sites using available Myotis roost data?
Biological Records Search
SEWBReC data search for Myotis species in Cardiff, VoG & Bridgend MYOTIS RECORDS
Brandt's 433 Records Total: 0% 1 x Brandt’s record – Unknown 40% Daubenton's (Detector recording from Cardiff) 45% 193 x Daubenton’s bat 38 x Natterer’s bat
27 x whiskered bat records Whiskered 6%
167 x unidentified Myotis bat Natterer's 9% 6 x whiskered/Brandt’s bat
Lizardpoint.com
Google maps The Woodland Myotis Project
• Why Myotis? Lack of species specific records Only 56 records from hand identifications
• No records for Bechstein’s bat or Alcathoe (or greater mouse eared)
• Dubious record for Brandt’s in Cardiff, no records in VOG or Bridgend
• Very few whiskered bat or Natterer’s bat records
• Why woodlands? Important habitat for all Myotis Very few records relating to woodland habitats Project Aims
• Find Myotis Species distributions Do Brandt’s, Alcathoe or Bechstein’s occur in the Counties?
• (Wray et al 2010 – Myotis species rarer in Wales)
• Identify important sites
• Establish whether there are differences between: • Coastal and inland woodland sites • Woodland types • Woodland use – sex differences
Methodology
• Trapping surveys Harp Traps and Mist nets with acoustic lures
• 9 sites (3 surveys per site) bat seasons
• 3 bat seasons: Pre maternity Post maternity Autumn
Year 1 Results
• Sites surveyed: 5
• Volunteers trained: 20
• Number of bats caught: 123
• Number of species caught: 9
• Number of Myotis caught: 29
• Number of Myotis species caught: 4
• 1st record for Brandt’s bat in Bridgend county
• Identification of one site with many pregnant whiskered bats
• Identification of one woodland with Myotis activity in the autumn
Comparison of species caught at 2 sites (Data across all seasons pooled)
Site A Site B
Eptesicus serotinus 5% Myotis daubentonii 2% 13% 4% 14% 8% Myotis mystacinus Myotis mystacinus 2% 8% nyctalus noctula 11% Nyctalus noctula Pipistrellus pipistrellus 13% Pipistrellus pygmaeus Pipistrellus Myotis nattereri 4% pipistrellus 50% Plecotus auritus Pipistrellus pygmaeus 66%
Plecotus auritus
6 species (2 Myotis) 7 species (2 Myotis species) SITE A Sex SITE B
female male female male Reproductive status
P NB PL B B NB PL P
Site A Site B How do these factors change through the year? Site B as an example
• Species composition Mid season
Late season Early Season
Myotis mystacinus Myotis nattereri nyctalus noctula Pipistrellus pipistrellus Pipistrellus pygmaeus Plecotus auritus
Pipistrellus pygmaeus Pipistrellus pipistrellus Myotis mystacinus Pipistrellus pygmaeus Myotis mystacinus Plecotus auritus Next Steps • Continue to survey sites over the next three years
• New sites added to project through incidental capture data - Suspected Brandt’s caught at site in VOG during Nathusius’ pipistrelle project
• Next stages: radio tracking rarer species back to roosts, expanding into other counties?
• Site specific projects for individual woodlands: working with woodland owners/managers to protect sites for bats
• More biological recording: Moth trapping
Back to Swarming
• In early 2020 won some funding from BCT for 4 x audiomoth bat detectors
• Looking to expand the swarming project – get volunteers involved deploying detectors at potential sites - then COVID 19 happened
• Got statics out at a potential site with new audiomoths for three weeks
• And…. Found evidence of swarming!
Found significant Myotis activity between 3-4 hours after sunset on multiple nights in September THANK YOU!
• • • • • • • • • members committee and group bat Cardiff and Bridgend Glamorgan, of Vale managers and owners woodland private the All SEWBReC funder crowd our to donated who Everyone Volunteers and rangers Park Country the All Wales Resources Natural Trust Conservation Bat Help of Bags Tesco Trust Woodland
If you want to get involved
• Join Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan & Bridgend bat groups
• Email me at: [email protected]
Follow us on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/battycar diff/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1405903 336373268/
Extra Reading
• Rivers et al (2006) Autumn swarming behaviour of Natterer’s bats in the UK: Population size, catchment area and dispersal. Biological Conservation Volume 127, Issue 2, January 2006, Pages 215-226
• http://cambriancavingcouncil.org.uk/
• Andrews H (2018) Bat Roosts in Trees. Pelagic publishing
• Mackie and Racey (2007) Habitat use varies with reproductive state in noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula): Implications for conservation. Biological Conservation Volume 140, Issues 1–2, November 2007, Pages 70-77
• Toor and safi (2011) Integrating sex‐specific habitat use for conservation using habitat suitability models. Animal Conservation Volume 14, Issue 5 October 2011 Pages 512-520
• Lintott et al (2014) City life makes females fussy: sex differences in habitat use of temperate bats in urban areas. November 2014 Volume 1Issue 3
• Hillen et al 2011. Sex-Specific Habitat Selection in an Edge Habitat Specialist, the Western Barbastelle Bat. Annales Zoologici Fennici, 48(3):180-190
• J. A. ENCARNAÇÃO et al (2005)Sex‐related differences in roost‐site selection by Daubenton's bats Myotis daubentonii during the nursery period. Mammal Review Volume35, Issue3‐4July 2005 Pages 285-294
• Brown P (2016) The cryptic group of small Myotis bats and habitat use by woodland species in Britain. MSc dissertation
Any Questions?