Rare bats discovered in Cheshire for first time in half a century

Found during routine check

February 2012: The discovery of a lesser horseshoe bats in Cheshire for the first time in more than half a century has been described as ‘extremely exciting' by the county's Wildlife Trust.

The bats were found during a routine ‘hibernation check' by volunteers from the Cheshire Bat Group at English Heritage's Beeston Castle.

The species was last recorded in the Cheshire region at the same site in 1948. The bat gets its name from its horseshoe-shaped nose.

Casualties of Sixties Silent SpringLike several species, including birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon, lesser horseshoe bats have suffered through the inappropriate use of certain pesticides, which culminated in the ground-breaking study Silent Spring in the early 1960s.

Fragmentation of their favoured habitats and the use of timber treatments in their preferred roosting areas also led to a reduction in numbers.

Today, lesser horseshoe bats are restricted to Wales, the West Midlands and the South West. The most recent record from the North West was from East Lancashire, where lesser horseshoe bats were discovered in 2009.

Geed Ryan, of Cheshire Bat Group, said: ‘We have always known that lesser horseshoe bats were across the border in Wales and that this area of Cheshire has suitable habitat and feeding grounds for them - so we had hoped to find them one day.

Bats found hanging freely in caves‘Lesser horseshoe bats do not use boxes and these individuals were hanging freely in the caves, so although only the size of a plum, they were quite easy to spot.'

Fellow enthusiast Mike Freeman said the group would now carry out further monitoring to see where the bats are moving to and from. English Heritage have also confirmed the site at Beeston Castle will continue to be managed for the benefit of bats.

Sarah Bennett from Cheshire Wildlife Trust added: ‘It's often easy with familiar wildlife such as otters and birds to understand when numbers are in decline, but with a challenging group of species like bats it takes time and dedication to monitor their numbers.

‘We're thrilled that the Bat Group have made this discovery, and it also demonstrates the importance of maintaining high quality natural habitats throughout our countryside, as we may not always know when wildlife is slowly making a recovery behind the scenes.'

Mrs Bennett added: ‘It's especially heartening in the trust's 50th anniversary year to hear that species are continually making a comeback, despite the challenges that have been thrown at our wildlife during the past 50 years.'

All bats are protected by law, and anyone inspecting areas for bat activity or handling bats must hold an official licence.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/bats-cheshire.html

Puma-like cat spotted in fields (via Paul Cropper)

Puma-like cat spotted in fields
22 April 2010
Cheddar Valley Gazette
(c) 2010 Cheddar Valley Gazette

The Big Cat of Banwell Wood has been sighted.

Felicity Saunders, who has chickens in her garden, said residents need to be warned about the puma-like cat which she watched pounding across the field and into the woods. The big cat, which was black, has now been seen twice in fields at Banwell.

Miss Saunders, who saw the cat on Thursday, also heard a growling noise as she walked her dog later that evening in Banwell Wood. Her home in East Street adjoins a field which backs on to the wood.
She said: "My nephew, James Galloway, drew my attention to it.

"At first I thought it was just a pet cat but when it started to run I realised it was far too big, with a long body and big tail. It was puma-sized, bigger than a Labrador dog. It ran into the wood. The vicar says a lady saw it up in Dark Lane a few days ago. It's jet black. I want to warn people to be careful with their pets. I keep chickens which might have attracted it."

There have been 100 sightings of alleged exotic and unidentified animals in the UK in the last five years. Last month Charlie Wilson, who co-ordinates reports of sightings for English Nature, the Government agency responsible for investigating them, said some sightings are plausible and he is prepared to believe that occasionally exotic animals have been dumped in the countryside or escaped. But he said he does not believe there are breeding populations.