Rare bats winter in World War I monument

This music video is about the carillion playing in the monument in Amersfoort, the Netherlands for Belgian World War I refugees.

Today, there is not only bat news from the Caribbean.

This video says about itself:

Natterer’s bat roost in a UK barn

Feb 3, 2013

This short video shows adult Natterer’s bats swarming around the entrance to a hidden roost in a cavity behind the lower end of the brace. Young bats can be seen emerging, maybe even taking their first flights. It was filmed on 14 July 2012 in England using a Sony HDR-SR10E which has O lux with night shot. You don’t need Super night shot which doesn’t work for filming emerging bats in the dark. I also used two separate Infra Red light sources – preferably ones which can diffuse the light.

I used two IRLamp6 from Bat Conservation & Management in the States which are excellent but they are very expensive. This set up has not disturbed these bats as filming took place in total darkness. Check the country’s legal status for bats as some have very strict laws on bat disturbance and a license might be required.

Translated from Bureau Waardenburg in the Netherlands:

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

On the Amersfoort Mountain there is a special building: The Belgian Monument. This monument is special in several respects. The building dates from 1919. It is the largest memorial in the Netherlands. It is a gift from Belgians to thank for the reception of refugees during the First World War. Now it appears that it is also special for another reason: bats hibernate here. …

In January 2013 Bureau Waardenburg examined the use of the monument. In total we counted at least 65 hibernating bats: 32 Daubenton’s bats, 29 Natterer’s bats, a common long-eared bat and three unidentifiable animals. So many bats had not previously been counted in a winter residence in Amersfoort. The observations of the Natterer’s bats are particularly special: this species was only recently seen for the first time ever in Amersfoort and its whereabouts were not yet known.

Related articles

• Caribbean bats discovery (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Daubenton Bat Colonies Have “Flexible Social System” (natureworldnews.com)
• Rare butterfly back in the Netherlands (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Yorkshire bats ‘cohabit all year’ (bbc.co.uk)
• Bats Have Surprisingly Complex Family Life (livescience.com)
• Good New Zealand bat news (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Bat dad devotion depends on the roost (futurity.org)