Bats are an integral part of a healthy ecosystem. Throughout the globe they control insect populations, pollinate and can even be used as indicator species of biodiversity and ecosystem health. Prior to the 1990s bats were undergoing a rapid rate of decline due to habitat loss and use of chemicals in agriculture and construction. Due to this, the EUROBAT agreement and legislation such as EU Habitats directive were brought in to protect them. Since the 1990s, bat populations have been growing across Europe due to the introduction of this legislation. In Ireland much work still needs to be done to fully understand the distribution of each species and the habitats they use. Ireland's cities and countryside serve as a vital sustenance reservoir for Europe's bat populations. A single bat can eat up to 3,000 insects a night and will travel several kilometres in one night to get to their preferred feeding grounds.

Bats in Ireland

Why are bats important

The island of Ireland has nine species of bat that are resident all year round. Two additional species have been found in Ireland, however they were one off occurrences and thus considered vagrants. These additional two species were Brands Bat Myotis brandtii found in Wicklow, and the Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum found in Wexford.

Common pipistrelle

The common pipistrelle is widely distributed throughout covering 85% of the island. They occurs most frequently around agricultural land, managed hedgerows, and low fences. They tend to forage 3m – 10m above the ground, and their flight pattern is described as fast, with frequent, rapid changes in direction. When echolocating, they will emit pulses that initially start at ~68.8 kHz and then tail off at a frequency of 45.9 kHz. while using a peak echolocating frequency of ~46.6 kHz. These pulses will be modulated depending on the purpose of the call and environment. They have a strong preference for placing their maternity roosts in buildings that are made specifically of a stone construction (Roche et al., 2014).

Soprano pipistrelle

The soprano pipistrelle and common pipistrelle were considered the same species until 1997. The separation into two species was only made possible after genetic testing confirmed they were genetically different enough to be considered a separate species. The soprano can also be distinguished from the common pipistrelle based on its echolocating frequency. The soprano will echolocate using a start frequency of ~79.8 kHz and end ~56.8 kHz. The soprano pipistrelle is widespread throughout covering approx ~88% of the island of Ireland. They have a strong preference for broadleaf woodland, riparian zones and water bodies. When choosing their maternity roosts, they show a strong bias towards brick-made structures. This is a direct comparison to the common pipistrelle who have a significantly higher tendency towards stone-made structures. Soprano pipistrelles are also noted as having the largest roosts of all 9 resident species, with an average of 100 individuals per roost. The largest recorded roost of soprano pipistrelles in Ireland was 1,909 individuals.

Nathusius' pipistrelle

This is the least common of the three pipistrelle species in Ireland. It was first discovered in Ireland in 1996 and efforts are ongoing to improve data on this species; however, there is still very little known on its coverage and behaviours in the republic. A large scale study was conducted in 2016 in attempt to gain data on roosting activity however there still has not been any confirmed roosts in the republic. The highest number of records in the republic occur during the summer months. Throughout Europe, the species is known to carry out large migrations of up to 1600km, and it is thought that Ireland gets migrations from colder more northern parts of Europe during the winter. The are only distributed across ~17% on the island of Ireland with strongholds in Nothern Ireland. Compared to the other two species of pipistrelle in Ireland, their echolocating range is much lower. It will start ~51.1 kHz and then finish ~36.9 kHz. Their flight is also notably different, they have the ability to fly faster, however they are not as agile in movement, and most commonly observed hawking at a height of 4m – 15m above ground level. The males of the Nathusius’ pipistrelle are also known for being very socially vocal, especially when it comes to mating. Between July and September they will actively perch on trees or buildings near maternity roosts and call to attract females. In Northern Ireland, males have been observed calling continually for a period of 4.5 hours without stopping for a break.

Leisler's bat

Leisler’s bat is also referred to as the lesser noctule, and is Ireland’s largest bat. They are distributed across ~82% of the whole island of Ireland. They have a large variety in their flight behaviour and are recorded as high as ~70m, followed by occasional steep dives. Most commonly while foraging, they will move in straight lines with some circling. There is a large range of habitats in which they can be found, these include deciduous woodlands, parkland, meadow, tree crown, cattle pastures, water bodies, and even above white street lamps. Depending on the habitat they use, they will change the patterns of their echolocating frequency. In open habitats such as cattle pasture, they will fly high and use quasi-constant frequency pulses of ~23 kHz for long periods and alternate this with a frequency modulated/quasi-constant frequency call ~27kHz. Alternatively, when flying low in closed environments, they will use a relatively steep frequency modulated call that has a peak frequency of 29 kHz. In continental Europe, they are considered an arboreal bat because of their high dependence on trees roosts. When compared to the eight other Irish species, Leisler’s show the strongest preference for tree roosts, however the majority of their roosts in Ireland are found in buildings.

Daubenton's bat

Daubenton’s bat is one of three resident species of bat in Ireland that belong to the genus Myotis. They can be found across 75% of the island of Ireland. The species will forage low above calm water surfaces at heights of 5-25cm, and can use its characteristically large feet to scoop prey from the water’s surface. Due to this high assocation with waterways it is known in Irish as ialtóg usice - aka the water bat. However, its foraging habitat is not limited to just water bodies, it is known to occasionally use woodland paths and tree-lines. In these scenarios it will never venture deeper than 2m into the vegetation. Its echolocation sweeps begin at 81.1kHz and end at 29.4kHz when emitting foraging pulses

Whiskered bat

The Whiskered bat has the lowest recorded distribution of the three Myotis species in Ireland only covering ~14% of the Island. They are visually similar to the vagrant M. brandtii and their echolocation calls can also be difficult to distinguish. Penis shape of males is used to distinguish the species apart when in the field as a preliminary analysis if genetic testing is not practical. The Brandt’s bat will have a bulbous shaped tip while the whiskered is straight-sided and evenly narrow. When foraging, M. mystacinus will echolocate with pulses beginning ~88.3kHz and end ~32.4 kHz. This foraging will usually take place 1.5m – 6m above the ground while carrying out an agile weaving flight pattern. Their most favoured habitat is woodland and riparian but will also be found in parks, meadows, gardens and woodland paths. On continental Europe, the species is highly associated with caves and mines, however, in Ireland there are no records of them using caves, showing a preference for buildings instead. There are no records of them using bat boxes in Ireland, even though they rely on a large network of day roosts to move throughout their environments.

Natterer's bat

This species is the second most widespread of the species from the myotis genus in Ireland. They are currently distribution across ~35% across the island of Ireland. They fly 1m – 6m above ground level and have a slow wing beat. They make use of waterways, however, when using this habitat they will forage higher than M. daubentonii. Due to this it can tolerate waters that are slightly turbulent. When foraging in open pastures, woodland clearings, and meadows it will switch to a gleaning behaviour. During this foraging behaviour it utilises echolocation calls that begin at ~106.8 kHz and then drop down to 22.8 kHz. This high range of frequency modulation make M. nattereri an anomaly when compared to the other Myotis species. In very cluttered environments these calls start as high as 145 kHz and then sweep down as low as 15 kHz.

Lesser horseshoe bat

Visually this species can be distinguished from the other eight Irish species easily. This is due to a facial morphology consisting of a “nose leaf” and a pointed projection above the “nose leaf” which is known as a “lancet”. Another characteristic feature of this species is its behaviour of hanging upside down while wrapped in its wings when in rest, no other species in Ireland does this. The population here is recognised as the most northerly and westerly limits of the species range on earth. The population is seen to be in decline across Europe and therefore the population in Ireland is becoming a considerably important stronghold for the species. The species will make use of caves at any time in the year, but particularly in the winter as hibernation sites. Due to this, there have been 42 Special Areas of Conservation designated under Annex II for the lesser horseshoe bat, and nine have been selected as Annex I habitat “caves not open to the public”. On the island of Ireland the population is concentrated and confined to the west and south west. In Ireland, there are a large quantity of verified records across a relatively small area. There are 4356 records across 113 of Ireland's 1019, 10km monitoring grids. They have the ability to hover and also produce fast flight. They forage using a mix of gleaning, hawking and even pouncing on prey that is close to the ground. The lesser horseshoe will exploit many habitats, but broadleaf woodland is recognised as it most favourable habitat and this is thought to be why the west and south-west of Ireland acts as a stronghold for the species. When foraging, they will often use a start echolocating frequency of ~99kHz, which then increases to ~111kHz and ends with a frequency of ~96.6kHz

Lesser horseshoe bat

The most visually unique Irish species is Plecotus auritus, due to the length of its ears. These ears can be up to 41mm long, which is almost as long as their bodies. They have a slow fluttering flight and become extremely agile when flying in dense confined environments. They forage using a “gleaning” style which consists of snatching prey items off foliage and even the ground. Their calls are exceptionally quiet on a heterodyne and usually only detected within ~5m. Their echolocation will often have a characteristic two harmonic modulation. The first harmonic starts at ~55kHz and ends at ~24kHz, while the second harmonic starts ~73kHz and ends ~51kHz (Russ, 2012). They have a strong distribution of ~62% across Ireland. Article 17 reporting of habitat threat levels show they have the highest number of threats when compared to all other bat species. This indicates that they could be the most vulnerable to a population crash if their habitats are not monitored and protected. In article 17 reporting, their three highest impact risks are:

1. Removal of hedges and copses or scrub

2. Forestry clearance

3. Forest exploitation without replanting or natural re-growth

Lesser horseshoe bat

The most visually unique Irish species is Plecotus auritus, due to the length of its ears. These ears can be up to 41mm long, which is almost as long as their bodies. They have a slow fluttering flight and become extremely agile when flying in dense confined environments. They forage using a “gleaning” style which consists of snatching prey items off foliage and even the ground. Their calls are exceptionally quiet on a heterodyne and usually only detected within ~5m. Their echolocation will often have a characteristic two harmonic modulation. The first harmonic starts at ~55kHz and ends at ~24kHz, while the second harmonic starts ~73kHz and ends ~51kHz (Russ, 2012). They have a strong distribution of ~62% across Ireland. Article 17 reporting of habitat threat levels show they have the highest number of threats when compared to all other bat species. This indicates that they could be the most vulnerable to a population crash if their habitats are not monitored and protected. In article 17 reporting, their three highest impact risks are:

1. Removal of hedges and copses or scrub

2. Forestry clearance

3. Forest exploitation without replanting or natural re-growth

Typical Lifecycle of an Irish bat

January

• Torper (mild hibernation)

February

• Torper (mild hibernation)

The emergence of each dragonfly species is highly dependent of weather conditions so there is variations even within species from year to year. However, you are most likely to observe the below:

Hairy Dragonfly: May - July

Four-spotted Chaser: May - August

Emperor Dragonfly: June - September

Black-tailed Skimmer: June - August

Keeled Skimmer: June - September

Common Hawker: June - September

Brown Hawker: June - September

Northern Emerald: June - August

Ruddy Darter: June - September

Common Darter: June - October

Black Darter: July - October

Migrant Hawker: August - October

The 5 vagrant species known to occur are:

1. Vagrant emperor [Hemi] anax ephippiger

2. Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope

3. Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea

4. Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii

5. Yellow-winged Darter Sympetrum flaveolum

Most records in Ireland for the vagrant emperor were found in October. Most records for the lesser emperor and the red-veined darter occurred in July. For the yellow-winged darter most records of the species came in August/September. For the southern hawker most records of the species were recorded in September/October.

Habitats, behavior, life cycle

Vagrants

When to observe resident species

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