A local wildlife enthusiast is set to lead two free bat walks from the Market Place this month.
Robert Dickenson will host the walks on 11th and 12th April, starting in the Market Place at 8.30pm. The route will follow the river to the bridge at dusk.
“This is a free walk open to anyone. It’s still a bit chilly at night, so I can’t guarantee we’ll see any bats, as they usually prefer temperatures above six or seven degrees—but come along, and we’ll see what we can find,” says Robert, a volunteer at the Conigre Mead Nature Reserve and winner of the Best Wildlife-Friendly Garden award in last year’s Melksham Open Gardens competition.
The main species residents can expect to see is the common pipistrelle. “These are small bats, but people might also spot some larger ones along the river,” explained Robert.
“Imagine running at full speed through a busy town or city in complete darkness, with only your fingertips to guide you past obstacles.
“Your fingertips would also be used to determine whether an object is flying, like a moth. Imagine doing this all night long, in total darkness. How would you cope with no night vision?
“Well, bats do this spectacularly well, using echolocation as a built-in sonar to guide them. They estimate their distance from an object based on the time difference between emitting a sound and receiving the echo. The calls they make for echolocation are among the loudest airborne sounds produced by any animal and can be picked up using a bat detector.
“To find out more about bats in Melksham, join me for a short bat walk starting from the Market Place.”
The walks are weather-dependent, and Robert says he also plans to hold more in May and June, when more bats will be active.
