River 'most active' for water bat

Daubenton's bats fly close to river surfaces when hunting insects

A stretch of river in the Highlands was the number one spot in Scotland and seventh best in the UK for recorded activity of Daubenton's bat last year.

The River Conon in Ross-shire is one of 165 Scottish sites and 1,069 in the UK regularly monitored for the species.

Nicknamed the water bat, it preys on insects found close to water surfaces.

Highland Council ranger Martin Hind, who surveys the Conon, said on some nights he has been standing at the river edge while up to 50 bats flew by.

The Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) is collating 2009's figures and expects to release the results early next year.

Skimming water

For 2008, recordings taken from 10 survey sites along a stretch of the Conon made it best in Scotland for activity.

The BCT said other rivers may have more bats, but it needed more volunteers to monitor them.

Mr Hind, countryside ranger for Easter Ross, said: "There have been times when I've stood at the water's edge and as many as 50 bats have been flying over the water."

He suspected the bats were roosting in large trees, such as oaks, along the river's banks.

Mr Hind added: "One of the best moments was a moonlit night when it was quite calm and I could see the bats skimming over the water against the reflected moonlight."

The Daubenton's often fly within a few centimetres from water surfaces to take insects.

The BCT said they had been seen taking prey directly from the water using their large feet or the tail membrane as a scoop.