In spite of the limited amount of surveying taking place during the Covid 19 lockdown period we have received two records of one of our rarest county bats. No survey work in connection with the National Nathusius' Pipistrelle Project, which is led for Derbyshire by Tom Bennett, has been possible. Nevertheless we have two new positive bat detector identifications for this species which become the 44th and 45th county records.
One pass was detected on an Anabat SD2 during a commercial survey at Shardlow on the 19th May. The site is not far from Witches Oak where Tom has caught five Nathusius’ pipistrelles in previous seasons and close to a new site he is hoping to trap when the lockdown is lifted. Knowing that they are around is proving very frustrating for him!
The second was a pass detected on an Anabat Express in my garden at 00:26 hrs on 21/05/20. This is actually the third record for my garden, all on passive Anabat detectors left out overnight while I was in bed; the other two were September and October records. One day I’ll be out there with a bat detector when one flies over!
Both records were considered and ratified by our rare bats panel. We believe that the scientific and conservation value of our records database is maximised by ensuring as far as possible the accuracy of the records it contains. We therefore ask all observers to provide some identification details for scarce or difficult species when submitting records. Currently Nathusius’ pipistrelle, serotine, barbastelle and any Myotis bat not seen or identified by DNA analysis fall into that category.
Alan Roe
Derbyshire Bat Group Recorder
