Nature Features

Bat specialists working at Holyford Woods Nature Reserve near Seaton, have discovered what they believe is a breeding colony of Bechstein's bats - Britain's rarest mammal.

A recent survey found 10 different species of bats in the woodland, including the rare Barbastelle bat, but the star of the show by far has been the discovery of the Bechstein's.

It was known that Bechstein's bats were roosting in East Devon during the winter, but no-one had ever found where they were spending the summer and therefore where they were breeding.

"We knew that there's a winter roosting site for these very rare creatures not far from the woodland," explained Fraser Rush, Nature Reserves Officer for East Devon District Council.

"A little research into their favoured summer habitat showed that they like mature woodland with open water and very dense vegetation.

They may not be cute, but they are rare

"It didn't take long for the pebble to drop that we had exactly that only a few miles away at Holyford Woods, and so we commissioned the research."

Bats are protected by UK law and any disturbance to them, including monitoring for research purposes, has to be carried out by licensed bat recorders.

East Devon District Council called in the Devon Bat Conservation and Research Group and, with funding help from the East Devon AONB Partnership, commissioned a full bat survey of the woodland.

"We found a Barbastelle bat on the very first session at Holyford Woods," explained John Kaczanow of the Devon Bat Conservation & Research Group.

"This was extremely heartening as these are themselves a very rare bat in Britain, however it was on the second visit that we trapped the Bechstein's bat."

"We were then able to fix a tracking device to the bat, which was made to my own specifications especially for the Bechstein's Project.

"By following the signal from the bat we identified several roost locations that may well contain more of these bats," said John.

"I am certain there's a breeding colony of Bechstein's in the area, everything is perfect for them; the woodland and the surrounding farmland are perfect for Bechstein's bats."

The Bechstein's look like tiny flying foxes with ginger fur, large ears and ferociously long teeth for grappling with moths.

Now that the colony has been discovered, conservation measures can be put in place to ensure the bats thrive.

The Devon Bat Conservation and Research Group is keen to hear from landowners in the area for help in their project, especially owners of local woodland.

Globally the Bechstein's bat is restricted to western Europe, and in Britain it can only be found in a few places in southern England. 

The winter roost site in East Devon has already been designated a Special Area of Conservation, through the European Habitats Directive, to protect this species.