Northern sights
A stretch of woods in the Highlands contains what is likely to be the UK’s most northerly population of the scarce Natterer’s bat. A survey by Lyn Wells, part-funded by SNH, took in the 93-hectare oak wood at Ledmore Wood on the Dornoch Firth in Sutherland last year and found soprano pipistrelle, common pipistrelle, Daubenton’s bat and the scarce Natterer’s bat. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation for its impressive mature oak woodland habitat. It is considered to be high-value habitat for bats due to the gnarled nature of the oak trees which provide nooks and crevices used by roosting bats. The mature woodland canopy and the woodland plants support an abundance of moths and spiders which also supplies excellent foraging potential for bats. Lyn confirmed: “This constitutes the first record for Natterer’s bat in Sutherland and it is currently the most northerly UK location by around four kilometres. This makes it an exciting discovery and further voluntary survey work this summer may help us to gauge how this scarce bat species is using this terrific old oak woodland site.” A special digital bat detector was used at Ledmore oak wood to clinch the identification of the Natterer’s bat, as its quiet high-frequency ultrasonic calls are often difficult to detect. Lesley Cranna, SNH’s Northern Isles and North Highland area manager,
added: “This work shows that the area is important for bats. Further survey effort will give us more information on how they are using Ledmore Wood and if they are breeding.
“Furthermore this project provides us with information which allows us to monitor future changes to bat populations. Factors such as climate change may affect their distribution.”
Meanwhile, a bat survey carried out by the same surveyors and also funded by
SNH suggests that Daubenton’s bats – a species typically associated with water – may roost at ‘Silver Rock’ near Golspie, Sutherland.
20 The Nature of Scotland
NEWS
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