The barbastelle was first recorded in Nottinghamshire in 2011 on a bat group transect near the River Trent. Recordings made with a time expansion bat detector confirmed the identification of at least one foraging bat. Later the same year another recording was made approximately five miles away from the first location in open habitat, which suggested a commuting bat. In 2013 some verified recordings were also made on the other side of the county on the border with Derbyshire.
In 2015, the Nottinghamshire Barbastelle Project was initiated to understand more about the distribution and conservation status of this elusive and enigmatic bat species within and bordering the county – click here for more information on this voluntary Nottinghamshire Bat Group project and the current understanding of this species’ predicament within Nottinghamshire.
For more information read the latest update on the Nottinghamshire Barbastelle Project
Picture by Laura Hammerton