Back in the spring of last year we looked at plans for bat boxes along the Glen.
In the previous summer, the Devon Wildlife Trust visited “the wonderful Glen Goyle” – and Katie Wilkinson, Wilder Communities Team Leader at the DWT, was not only shown around the Glen and its various habitats, but was very helpful in terms of suggesting sites for bat and owl boxes, hedgehog runs, bug hotels and the like.
John McGregor of FOGG then got in touch with Miranda Maybank of the Ecology and Environmental Services company Halpin Robbins, who then the Glen a visit in April last year. Since then, she has recommended which bat boxes to purchase, as well as some tips for understanding if they are being occupied by bats. She has also offered to carry out a bi-annual check of the boxes to identify if bats are using them.
By June, John had not only found funding from a local charity, but had made purchase of a dozen bat boxes – creating a feast of new bat boxes for the Glen: “We will check again the trees that the bat consultant identified. And we have contacted the district council’s tree team – who availed themselves so well earlier this month when they had the owl box installed along the Glen.”
And so last week, Liam and Will from the EDDC’s tree team managed to come by – and in one day managed to install all twelve boxes on the trees recommended by Katie of the DWT and Miranda of Halpin Robbins.
Here is the team in progress – and the results of their efforts. With photos taken by John McGregor.
The first one shows Liam coming down (by rope!) from having just installed a box – with another box on a tree in the background.
With big thanks to Liam and Will from the council’s tree team – an special thanks to John of FOGG for initiating this project.
But John hasn’t finished there as he looks to how the bat boxes will be monitored: he’s in touch with Miranda and with the EDDC Countryside team, one of whom is going to become a Licensed Bat Officer, as there are several sites now operating in the District
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