Cheshire bat group have visited Beeston Castle in Cheshire to inspect the caves for hibernating bats and and to fit bat boxes onto the trees surrounding the castle. The bat group are working with English Heritage at the site to make improvements to the quality of the habitat surrounding the castle. Stewart from United environmental services helped out with the tree climbing and bat box installation
The castle supports a colony of natterers bats as well as noctules and pipistrelles. The different bat species all use different areas and features of the monument and its grounds in different ways, and at different times of year.
The caves were man made and the walls are very smooth with few faults which can support hibernating bats. An inspection of the caves by the bat group revealed a single hibernating natterers bat tucked into a small fault in the rock. Herald moths were also seen in the caves and are considered an indicator of conditions suitable for hibernating bats.
Fitting the bat boxes into the trees proved an arduous task as on the day it was snowing quite heavily. The bat group did manage to fit 18 boxes into the trees with a further 12 boxes to be placed in the trees and 4 to be fitted in the caves at a later date.