22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders

Summary

As dusk falls on June 22nd, London’s skies come alive with silent hunters—bats flit through the twilight, their nurseries hidden in the shadows. Meanwhile, adders slither, lizards bask, and slow worms perform their strange courtship dances. Beneath the water’s surface, tadpoles turn cannibal, and fish leap for feasts of summer insects.

Return on June 22nd to uncover the secrets of London’s nocturnal and aquatic life. From rare horseshoe bats to adder births, discover the wild dramas unfolding just beyond the city’s glow.

Article

Bats

By June all-female bat nurseries have now been set up. The males often roost together nearby and most bats will have given birth by the end of the month. The young cling to their mother’s fur, or to a false nipple in the case of the horseshoe bat. When females go hunting for insects they carry their young under their bodies. Besides the Pipistrelles, Noctules, Daubenton’s and Brown long-eared bats that may be seen last month, there are now several new bats to add to the list. The areas around Box Hill, Godstone and Westerham are the best places to look for species such as Soprano, Brandt’s, Whiskered, Natterer’s, Leisler’s and Barbastelle.

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

When attempting to identify a bat in flight it is necessary to remember the flight pattern, where and when it flew at what approximate speed and also at what height. Even then it will only be an attempt at identification. It is necessary to be close up to accurately confirm a species. Along with Pipistrelles and Noctules, Leisler’s bats are often the first to be seen, a mere fifteen minutes after sunset.

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

They tend to fly higher than Pipistrelles and don’t dive as steeply as Noctules. About half an hour after sunset they may be joined by Serotine, Barbastelle, Whiskered and Brandt’s. Serotines also fly high, but rather slower than most other bats.

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

They also make occasional loops and are often seen in more open situations such as parks. Barbastelle’s are similar to Pipistrelles, except they tend to leave their roosts a little later. They have a more assured flight, which is not as erratic as that of Pipistrelles. Whiskered bats can also be easily confused with Pipistrelles but their flight tends to be faster, straighter and may even be seen during the day. Brown long-eared and Natterer’s bats usually commence flying even later than the others, perhaps as much as forty-five minutes to an hour after sunset.

Natterer’s are more difficult than most to see as they seem to love total darkness. They may be flying around your ankles in a wood and still you won’t see them. They also fly low over water and are often seen near buildings. Their flight can be slow or fast, often in straight lines, and their tail is usually held straight out. It may be worth looking around roads with tall hedges in the Westhumble area for them. As with Noctules some people claim to hear their squeaks.

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

The river cliff at Box Hill is an atmospheric place to look for the Brown long-eared bat. They hover a lot and have the habit of alighting in trees to feed. Sometimes their ears can even be seen. Sadly, Horseshoe bats are now very rare. They tend to be poor fliers, glide a lot and have of course a highly distinctive, unforgettable, face.

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

22-June Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

Warm, sunny days are the best time to look for lizards that may now be basking on dry walls in places such as Bookham or Keston Common. Adders, unlike most other snakes, give birth not to eggs but to live young. Lizards have transparent eggs through which the tiny black young can be seen. Slow worms may still be courting. Males arch their backs before inserting one of their two penises into the female.

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

In ponds, the tadpoles of frogs, newts and toads are all now turning from a herbivorous to a carnivorous diet which occasionally includes eating each other. Young frogs and toads have now developed legs and will be leaving ponds by the end of the month. Being explosive breeders, they are sometimes encountered in almost plague numbers amongst emergent vegetation at the edges of some ponds.

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

Looking into clear water at the edges of lakes and rivers, many young fish may now be seen in shoals. Minnows congregating in shallow water may even be spawning. In the evening, larger fish can be seen near the surface or breaking it to catch emerging insects. At this time of year the still surface of open water can be constantly disturbed by fish feeding on clouds of insects as they hover just above the water.

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image

22-June Bats, Adders & Midnight Feeders Section Image