South Lancashire Bat Group - Registered Charity No 1109519


Local Bats

Types of bats - click on a bat name for more information and pictures.

Pipistrelle - small, similar size to a sparrow or a swallow.
Daubenton’s - slightly bigger than pipistrelle. Typically feeds over still/sheltered ponds.
Noctule - easy to distinguish and all records of sightings are extremely valuable.
Whiskered/Brandts - similar size as pipistrelle and emerges at the same time. .
Brown Long-Eared - similar size to Daubenton’s.
Natterers - This bat is uncommon in the South Lancashire area. It may be easily confused with Daubentons as it is a similar size.
Leislers and Serotine bats - only one confirmed sighting of each in the area.

The pipistrelle, Daubentons, whiskered, Brandts, long eared and Natterers bat all echolocate at around 45Khz, with variations in tone and repetition rate of the clicks heard on a bat detector providing an aid to identification. The noctule and Leislers bat can be detected at 40Khz, but 25Khz is the best setting to hear the unmistakable “chip-chop” sound of their echolocation call.

Bats are active from April to October mainly, but especially so from mid-May to September. Numbers increase once the year’s youngster’s start flying in mid-July to August.

Bats have a peak of activity for an hour or two after they emerge in the evening. This is the best time to survey for them. (The hour leading up to dawn is a good time too!)

What to note when you see a bat.

(Pipistrelles are common and come out when it's still quite light so they are the ones you are likely to see, especially in urban areas and round housing estates.)

Is the bat flying purposefully in one direction? If it is, and doesn't fly back in the opposite direction shortly after, it's commuting. If it's still quite light the bat will be heading from its roost to its feeding grounds. If you see more than one flying in from the same direction there will be a roost reasonably close by. You will usually see commuting bats flying along hedges, lines of trees, even streets... anything that forms a line.

Always note the direction of flight of a commuting bat, and record the fact that you think it is commuting. If the bat is flying repeatedly up and down a hedge or line of trees, or round a garden, pond or group of trees for example, typically dodging and weaving it will be feeding (and it is likely to be a pipistrelle!). Always note the fact that you think the bat is feeding.

In the case of Daubentons bats the place to look for feeding bats is over and around water features such as ponds and old mill lodges where they will maintain a fixed height close to the surface of the water, or about 2 to 3 metres above it.

If you are confident you have identified the species make a note of which you think it is. If you're not sure of the species, say so, but submit the record anyway. Any record is better than none.

Please fill in The Bat Recording Form and email it to us

Submit to records@slbg.org.uk

Where to See Bats

These are some of the best, accessible places covered by the South Lancashire Bat Group where you would expect to see bats. The best time to look is just after sunset, or just before dawn (near a known roost). Any area with vegetation, including urban gardens and parks, still or reasonably slow moving water, such as millponds, lodges and streams should be suitable for feeding bats. If you do go out looking, please help us in our important conservation work, by completing the record form, and sending it off. We can only protect bats if we where they are. Repeated records are exceptionally useful as they help us monitor how population size is altering.

Places to see bats:

You can contact us on the Batline on 0161 764 8850 (please leave a message) or e-mail us

Last Updated 03/07/06

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