PIPISTRELLE BAT: LAURIE CAMPBELL/NATUREPL.COM
S
ummer nights may be shorter, but they’re alive with activity as a host of nocturnal creatures make the most of the hours of darkness. Tawny owls listen for rodents rustling across woodland floors, moths flicker around night-scented flowers, and bats swoop through the air, hunting the insects that swarm in the night. There are 17 species of bat that breed in the UK, from Natterer’s bats that snatch spiders from their webs, to Daubenton’s bats that fish insects from the surface of lakes and rivers. The most widespread and frequently seen are the common and soprano pipistrelles, zigzagging through the air as they feast on up to 3,000 insects a night. Their nocturnal nature can make bats a challenge to watch, but there are few moments as magical as seeing these shadowy silhouettes sweep across a darkening sky.
18
Wild Life | Summer 2021
