Leicestershire & Rutland Bat Group

26/09/2026

Out today at an Eco churches event in Leicester today. Nice to talk about Bats in Churches again 🦇😃🦇

21/08/2026

Maybe we'll catch one of these on the return over the next month or so?

🫢 This might just be the most incredible bat fact we've shared yet!

Imagine being just 46-55mm long and weighing between 6 and 16 grams, and flying 2,000km from Russia to England 🤯

📆 Nathusius’ pipistrelle migrates south west across Europe in late autumn and winter before returning to eastern Europe the following spring.

🦇 Slightly larger than its two UK-based cousins, Nathusius' pipistrelle has a broader wing, fur on the tail membrane and furry p***s.

18/08/2026

18/08/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our first session at Thornton Reservoir trapping bats as part of the National Nathusius' pipistrelle project. We learnt a lot from Anastasia and Marie and got to see Nathusius' and soprano pipistrelles, Daubenton's and whiskered bats up close. This is a joint project recording mammals with the Leicestershire & Rutland Mammal Group in the Charnwood Geopark. Thank you to the The National Forest for giving us a Landscape Grant to help us purchase survey equipment to help us train people to record mammals in this area. Thank you to Severn Trent for allowing access. We are also recording bats through passive bat recording, driving transects and walking transects throughout the Charnwood Geopark area. We are excited to be increasing our knowledge of bats in this area. 🦇🦇 Please note: this survey work is carried out under licence by experienced bat workers with appropriate survey and handling licences. Masks are worn to prevent us passing on any potential illnesses to bats.

02/08/2026

🦇 August is here. At around six weeks old, the young bats begin to catch insects for themselves and no longer need their mothers’ milk. The summer maternity colonies begin to disperse and bats may move to mating roosts.

25/07/2026

In memory of Jenny Harris, a new bat box and plaque has been put up at Merrys Meadows, Jennys favourite Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust nature reserve.

If you visit the reserve and see the box, do take a moment to think about Jenny and the amazing contribution she made to the bats of Leicestershire and Rutland. She is deeply missed ❤️

22/07/2026

Another relaxing evening carrying out the second NBMP field survey at Bradgate Park Trust We heard a few noctules and pipistrelles so had a few tallies on our survey sheet. We also enjoyed watching the deer and seeing a barn owl fly across the park. To get involved in the National Bat Monitoring Project (NBMP) check out the Bat Conservation Trust's website - https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-monitoring-programme

18/07/2026

The plus side of the main road back home being closed after a survey means that I get to record bats on smaller country roads. The downside is EV range anxiety as I know there are no EV chargers in the middle of nowhere. At least I'm driving around 15mph so I'm not using too much charge 😆 🦇🦇🦇

11/07/2026

Ann and the bat stand is at the Rempstone Steam Fair Five fields of steam engines, motorbikes, cars, arena, market and more! Pop by and say hello 😁🦇
It is on today and tomorrow - https://rempstonesteam.co.uk/

10/07/2026

Do you find any moth or butterfly wings under the beams in your roof spaces, porches, garages or barns?

Did you know brown long-eared bats love perching in their favourite spot and eat moths? They are not so keen on the wings though, and will just let them fall on the floor unscathed.

This photo, taken by Mike Mullis, is a collection of moth wings left by a brown long-eared bat from underneath its feeding roosts in his barn in East Sussex.

The wings had been discarded by the bats from various perches inside the barn - some are easy to find and pick up while others often settle in remote spots that are difficult to reach or just fall into spider's webs.

Some extra information on the behind the scenes of capturing this from Mike: "The main problem is that individual wings are simply laid down on the A4 sheet without being fixed or stuck in any way. It can be quite a nightmare as any small movement of my hand or body can flip the moth wings over, then I have to delicately fiddle around with them in position or have to re-position them completely. Have to keep all windows & doors closed to do all this. Took me about 3.0 hours to produce and get photo'd".

(photo shared with Mike's permission)