Rare Bechsteins’s bats found in Worcestershire woodlands

Rare bats have been located in a Worcestershire woodland. Bechstein's bats were discovered in Grafton Wood, near Grafton Flyford, by members of the Worcestershire Bat Group. The group were surveying the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust nature reserve as part of a national survey to discover more about this elusive species.

One of UK's rarest mammals
The survey, run by the The Bat Conservation Trust, aims to produce an accurate distribution map and gather information to inform future conservation policy and woodland management. The bats are one of the UK's rarest mammals and are a Biodiversity Action Plan priority species for conservation.

Fergus Henderson, Worcestershire Bat Group member, explained "Bechstein's bats are notoriously difficult to spot as they hardly ever leave the canopy of their favoured broad-leaved woodland habitat. 

Breeding population

"On a survey in Grafton Wood this week we found two breeding females and a juvenile. In Worcestershire this makes four sites with eight individual bats - exceeding all our expectations.

"Worcestershire now has the most northerly records of breeding Bechstein's in the country which makes it an important county for this species. Until this survey there were only ever one or two records of these bats in the county - now we're starting to get a much clearer picture of this woodland specialist. 

Juvenile Bechstein's bat found in Grafton Woods. Credit Fergus Henderson.

"The national project has been running since 2007 and this is the first year that Worcestershire has been involved. In the first couple of years fewer than 20 bats were found during the survey so to find four in Worcestershire in our first few surveys is really exciting."

Only 1500 Bechstein's in the UK
It is believed that the UK is on the northern edge of the bats' European population and the species is largely confined to our southern counties. It is estimated that there are only about 1500 individuals in the country and very little is know about them.

Members of Worcestershire Bat Group have received specific training for these surveys as normal bat survey methods aren't particularly successful in locating Bechstein's bats.