Wildlife Circus

Batty Boat Trip 2012 Over the past 8 years, the London Bat Group Batty Boat Trip has provided time series data, of the bat activity along stretches of the river at Hampton Wick, Kingston, Surbiton and Thames Ditton (see Bat Pages for a species list, right hand tabs). It is one of the annual monitoring visits studying the bats at the Seething Wells Filter Beds. This year there has been concern at the change in activity at the site. We failed to see any Daubenton's bats during their emergence period. A subsequent visit in perfect weather conditions ( 8/8 cloud cover, 16 degrees, no wind,17.6.12) noted that animal numbers and the pattern of activity has changed significantly. Animal numbers are reduced and the bats had no urgency to emerge as per adults with young to feed. The light sampling behaviour normally observed, was not apparent to the same degree as in previous years. When bats have young, the adults need to forage close-by, as they must return to feed their pups...

Seething Wells 2009 It is understood that newly appointed consultants will resume their surveys next month. The water levels and water quality are very different from when the Filter Beds were sold (2009). The draining of the FB's (Jan, Oct, 2011) changed the site (from left) to the swan photograph below. The  pair of swans breeding at Filter Bed 7 are able to stand in the water, demonstrating the current  low water levels. Draining led to the growth of vegetation, including reeds and other plants, which have died back over the winter. As these plants have become submerged through rainfall, the increased nutrient levels in the water have led to the algal growth, which now forms dense mats over the water surface. Filter Bed 7 May 2012 Until the water levels and  quality returns to status quo, surveys will not capture any bats foraging over the Filter Beds. Daubenton’s bats are capable of gaffing or trawling insects directly from the w...