International Bat Night officially kicks off tonight (28 August) – and we have rounded up the very best places to go bat watching in Lancashire.
According to the bats.org website, International Bat Night is an annual celebration of bats and the perfect time for local organisations to host bat events.
It has taken place on the last full weekend of August since 1997 and more than 30 countries traditionally take part each year.
What species of bats can be found in Lancashire
Here are some of the bats that can be found in Lancashire according to The Wildlife Trusts website.
Daubenton’s bat - Though occasionally found in buildings near water, Daubenton’s bats much prefer roosting in underground sites like tunnels and bridges over canals or rivers, or in caves, mines and cellars.
Natterer’s bat - Though a medium-sized bat, it can be difficult to see, hunting amongst trees where it snatches small moths, beetles, spiders and other prey from the foliage.
Brown long-eared bat - The brown long-eared bat is the most common bat species in Lancashire after the pipistrelle.
It flies against a backdrop of dark trees rather than against the sky making it quite hard to spot
Brandt’s bat – this species feeds low to the ground in woodlands and near water.
Whiskered bat - It flies a regular path alongside hedgerows and woodland edges, searching for food, but will also feed in the tree canopy.
Bat watching tips
Steve Parker is a volunteer for the South Lancashire Bat Group Facebook group, a charity group which helps injured bats in southern regions of Lancashire and in Greater Manchester.
Steve is also responsible for rehabilitating bats and bringing them back to full health.
He has revealed some of the best places in the North West to go bat watching.
He said: “All British bats feed on insects so you will need to go to a place where there is plenty of food."
Steve added that most people can see this type of bat “just by stepping outside their front door”.
He added: “You can also go to your local park, preferably one with water, and one with a fair amount of tree cover.
“They tend not to come out much in rain and your best chance of spotting one is in mild weather.”
He added: “People make the mistake of looking towards the trees … my advice it to stand under the trees and look out towards the sky.”
The best time to see them is twenty minutes after sunset and it’s easier to see them in summer as they hibernate in winter.
The best places to go bat watching in Lancashire
Here are some of the best bat watching location in Lancashire, according to Steve and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
- Birkacre, Chorley
- Brockholes Nature Reserve, near Samlesbury
- Wigan Flashes, Wigan
- Astley Park, Chorley
- Towneley Hall, Burnley
- Wyre Estuary Country Park, Thornton-Cleveleys
- Garstang Millennium Green, Garstang
- Boilton Wood, Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston
- Mere Sands Wood, Ormskirk
- Aughton Woods, Aughton
- Salthill Quarry, Clitheroe
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