Bats

There are eighteen species of bat in Britain and until recently six ** of them had been identified in Southwick Country Park:  the common pipistrelle and the soprano pipistrelle, Daubenton’s bat,  Natterer’s bat, the serotine and the greater horseshoe bat.

Now there appears to be a seventh species: recent evidence has been reported of Bechstein bats being in and around the park. This is one of Britain’s rarest bat species. The old oaks in the park are an ideal habitat for these bats. There are a lot of new oaks growing well so it may be that a whole colony could be established in the park linking up with the colony in the woods between Trowbridge and West Ashton.

For information on the Bechstein bat  follow this link.

Bat populations are falling; there is less woodland, insects species are under attack from modern pesticides, houses have sealed roofs, we have tidied up and shuttered away too many of the places bats use to roost.

The Bat Conservation Trust  and The Wildlife Trusts have joined forces to help preserve our bat species.

**Update

The 2017 Flora and Fauna census records that nine bat species have been identified in the park. The additional species are brown long-eared bat and nathusius pipistrelle:

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