Bats under Kexby Bridge

30 Days Wild, day 23: This evening I went to the annual count of Daubenton's bats which roost under Kexby Bridge. The current bridge over the River Derwent dates from 1650, although a bridge was recorded here in the 1420's. Some stones in the buttresses are coming loose and the gaps that have opened up provide excellent roost sites for bats.

At one time all the bats emerged from a single hole, making them relatively easy to count, but now they are more spread out and counting them is almost impossible. They started to emerge at about 9:50 and by 10:20 my bat detector was buzzing continuously. I could see the reflections of a few of them in the water under the bridge, but many passed unseen. In common with last year's count, the bat group leader didn't turn up, so no 'official' count was taken and I've no idea how many there were!

Daubenton's Bats under Kexby Bridge

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