Wings in the Woods: A Night of Moths and Bats in an Ancient Woodland

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters podcast.

This week we're trying something new as we join wildlife experts for my first moth night.

But before that, I'll lead them on a magical bat walk through an ancient woodland as the sun sets and you can relax and enjoy nature's calming sounds with some soothing wildlife sounds recorded in that ancient woodland in this week's Wildlife Matters mindful moments.

But first, let's take a look at the wildlife and nature stories that have.

Caught our attention in this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News, where we share some of the stories, stories from the wildlife world that have caught our attention this week.

And our first story is about driven grouse shooting.

Many people may not realize when grouse shooting season starts on 12 August, but wildlife expert Mark Avery believes it deserves more attention.

In his book Inglorious, Mark argues that driven grouse shooting is costly and seriously harms wildlife and birds of prey.

Prey Driven grouse shooting involves beaters flushing birds towards lines of shooters, resulting in the death of hundreds and even thousands of grouse every day.

This practice of driven grouse shooting started during Queen Victoria's reign at the Balmoral Estate and it's almost unique to the uk.

Many shooters say driven shooting does not offer a real sporting challenge because the birds are much easier targets than in traditional and more demanding forms of shooting.

Mark, who used to be the conservation director at the rspb, thinks this practice cannot last and mainly helps a small group of privileged people.

Mark told Wildlife Matters, it's more about.

Wealth and the kind of gun that.

You can afford than any knowledge of the hills or the ecology of the birds.

All you need to do is stand there.

It's kind of like an arcade game, except you dress up in tweed and stay with a duke or a lord.

If grouse hunting were limited to warped up shooting, there would be less demand for large numbers of grouse.

This would also mean less harm to the native wildlife.

Shooting estates often consider birds of prey or or raptors such as hen harriers or peregrine falcons and golden eagles as pests because they will prey on the grouse.

At one point, the number of deaths reached a record high, with 46 protective birds being killed, including 21 buzzards, four red kites, two golden eagles and even a white tailed eagle.

Eastern Scotland, particularly areas such as Deeside and Angus, now have the fewest birds of prey, with similar shortages in the south of Scotland, where most of the grouse moors are Located gamekeepers are frequently responsible for reducing these populations using methods such as shooting, nest destruction, spring traps and poisoning.

Ian Thompson, who's head of investigations for RSPB Scotland, told Wildlife, we don't know what proportion of actual incidents are discovered.

What we do know is that across.

Large areas of Scotland's uplands, especially those managed for driven grouse shooting, birds like hen harriers and peregrines rarely breed successfully, even though there is plenty of of good habitat and prey.

Every year, illegally killed birds of prey are found on Scotland's grouse moors.

The impact is calculated by comparing actual bird populations to their expected numbers.

A group of six people might pay more than £30,000 for three days of grouse shooting.

For this price, shooters often expect to shoot more than 1,000 birds each day.

Any wildlife that gets in the way, even protective birds of prey, is often removed.

To keep grouse in such high numbers, land managers burn heather every few years.

They'll drain the moors and remove all predators such as foxes, crows, stoats and of course the birds of prey.

Mark said.

Basically, anything that eats a red grouse before a rich person can shoot it will be seen as a problem.

A lot of public money goes to the upland landowners through farming programs and grants.

But research from Leeds University shows that managing uplands for driven grouse shooting causes peatland to break down and increases carbon emissions.

It's also linked to water pollution, fewer aquatic species and a higher risk of flooding.

Polluted water from grouse moors needs special treatment and water companies and ultimately their customers will pay that cost.

Mark finished by telling Wildlife Matters.

People from cities want to visit the countryside and see golden eagles, hen harriers and lots of wildlife.

But instead they find a landscape that's been burned with much of the natural wildlife gone.

For centuries we've been robbed of our wildlife for a so called sport where people shoot birds simply for fun.

Driven grouse malls are places where protected wildlife is killed and our climate is.

Being harmed as well.

We should no longer accept this Victorian era way of using land now that we have much more modern knowledge.

Our second story this week looks at precious chalk streams which are now among the most polluted waterways in the country.

After six years of detailed research, the Environment Agency has identified these unique chalk streams and other rivers affected as some of the worst waterways in England.

Last week, the Environment Agency released its latest assessment of England's 4,658 surface water bodies.

This includes rivers, lakes, estuaries and groundwater sources.

Each waterway is graded into one of five categories, from high through good, moderate, poor to bad.

Shockingly, only 14.3% were found to be in good ecological health and none met the standard for good chemical health.

These classifications are published every six years and they're based on factors like fish and invertebrate populations, as well as levels of nutrient and chemical pollution.

Britain's rivers are divided into individual segments, often marked by where tributaries join.

Of the 3,772 river sections assessed, 132 or 3% were found to be in the worst possible condition.

In these areas, ecosystems are so damaged that they can no longer support a healthy range of wildlife.

Many well known chalk streams are on this troubling list, including the Gypsy Race in Yorkshire, Chalkbeck in Cumbria and the Devil's Brook in Dorset.

Chalk streams are rare rivers that flow from underground springs in areas that are rich in chalk.

Of the 210 chalk streams in the world, an impressive 85% are found right here in the UK.

The chalk acts as a natural filter so that these streams should be crystal clear, but instead, many now suffer from severe pollution.

Former pop star turned campaigner Fergal Sharkey, a dedicated campaigner for chalk streams, told Wildlife Matters, you can see degradation in England, rare rivers when it comes to our chalk streams.

Some that once teemed with life are now little more than grassy ditches winding through the countryside, he said.

Many of the rivers with the lowest ratings are plagued by sewage pollution, such as the River Wandle, a Thames tributary in South London.

Others, like Asphalt's High Beck in North Yorkshire, are contaminated by heavy metals from historic lead mining.

The east and West Fen drains in Lincolnshire are artificial waterways, but they are now heavily polluted by agricultural runoff.

But in contrast, just four river sections in the entire country reach the highest possible ecological standard.

Barrow Burn and Ridless Burn in Northumberland National Park.

And the stretch of the river Tees at its source in the North Pennines.

And part of the River Till in.

Northumberland also made the grade.

Britain has more chalk streams than any other country in the world.

These rare and valuable habitats are environmental treasures, and Wildlife Matters is shocked and concerned that we are letting these natural wonders become so polluted and neglected.

Our final story this week is about the large increase in the sightings of hummingbird hawk moths in Britain this summer.

And we're asking, why is that happening?

Though these furry grey bodied moths with Bright orange wings seem to be everywhere.

People all over the UK are sharing their sightings and stories on social media.

The National Trust say sightings were rare last year, so this summer's search has come as a bit of a surprise.

Some experts are even calling it a hummingbird hawk moth summer because gardens across the country are buzzing with activity.

Even though it only grows to about 6 cm, the hummingbird hawkmoth is so fast and agile that people often mistake it for a tiny bird.

Its hovering flight makes it very easy to spot.

The moth beats its wings so quickly that they look orange and make a humming sound.

And amazingly, the hummingbird hawk moth can beat its wings up to 80 times per second, which is even faster than a real hummingbird.

This lets it zip through the air at speeds of up to 12 miles an hour.

So why are there so many more sightings this year?

Well, the hummingbird hawk moth is a day flying migrant that arrives in Britain each summer from the south of Europe.

Some years bring more moths than others, but this year's numbers are truly remarkable.

Vicky Hurd from the Wildlife Trust's told Wildlife Matters.

Vicky explained that weather conditions can push the moths higher and carry them right across the country.

While drought may also be making food scarce in Europe, encouraging the moths to seek better sources here in the uk.

Butterfly conservation says that warmer weather is causing a boom in butterflies and day flying moths.

The UK is having a once in a decade painted lady summer with swarms of migratory butterflies arriving and breeding all over the country.

Wildlife Matters asked how to attract hummingbird hawk moths to your garden.

The butterfly conservation team suggests planting plenty of flowering plants like valerian and buddleia.

The moths also need ladies bed straw to lay their eggs as their caterpillars feed exclusively on that plant.

Have you seen a hummingbird hawk moth this summer?

Let us know where you spotted one.

Our contact details, as always, are in the show notes and that has been this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

Today, 12th August marks the start of the annual red grouse shooting season.

A shocking display of gross excess.

Small groups of people pay as much as a decent annual salary to shoot up to a thousand birds a day.

Shooters say these birds end up on.

Dinner plates, but the truth is many are thrown into stink pits, which are.

Grim traps used to attract and destroy native wildlife.

It's a throwback to the colonial past that feels completely out of place in today's world.

We're fortunate.

Fortunes at stake and taxpayer funded subsidies going to millionaire landowners.

There is a strong effort to keep.

This controversial industry going.

Our rivers, especially the rare chalk streams, are in serious trouble and it's heartbreaking to see.

Clean water is essential for every creature.

On earth, yet still we pollute it.

I do not understand how we can.

Can value money over clean water, which is essential for all of us.

The state of our rivers and especially our chalk streams is close to our hearts, and Wildlife Matters will continue to campaign and fund practical projects to combat the destruction of our waterways.

On a brighter note, it's great to see hummingbird hawk moths thriving during this long, hot summer across Britain and indeed Europe.

Have you seen any species doing well.

Or struggling in this heat?

Share your wildlife stories with us on social media or by email.

You'll find all of our details in.

The show notes and we love hearing.

From you, our listeners.

Now let's hit pause on the headline and transport ourselves to a tranquil woodland at sunset.

Settle in for this week's Wildlife Matters mindful moments recorded live as the sun was setting in the ancient woodland and the nighttime nature chorus began to fill the air.

Sa.

I hope you found those nighttime bat sounds as magical as I did with.

A bat detector and some technology.

We've bought their hidden world direct to your headphones.

But the adventure isn't over yet.

Stay tuned as we join a group of local experts for our first moth night, right after a twilight bat walk through an ancient woodland.

And both adventures are coming up next on this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

As twilight falls, the wood fills with quiet wonders and hidden creatures.

Tonight, we're trying something new.

I'm leading a group of about 30 people on a bat walk, including members of a local moth and butterfly group.

And then afterwards, they'll set up a moth trap and share what we find in the summer woods.

And you are welcome to join us.

As the sun sets behind the trees and dusk arrives, we get ready to see what the night has in store.

So pack your rucksack with your flask and take some supper and snacks.

Put on your walking boots and join us for a summer evening bat and moth walk on this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

June is the best time to see moths, especially some of nature's most beautiful night flyers.

Hawk moths may be the highlight.

They're large, colorful and flutter like living jewels in the evening light.

We hope to spot a few of those tonight.

In a clearing, our moth trap glows, leading us under the trees and through wildflower meadows scented with the smell of summer and the Last songs of the evening birds.

As darkness deepens, we slip quietly into the heart of the woodlands, senses sharpened and eyes adjusting to the shifting shadows.

Part one of our adventure is to find bats, the swift, silent hunters who weave through the trees on whisper thin wings, snatching moths from their air with effortless precision.

There's a playful tension in the group.

Will we witness the drama of predator and prey?

Or perhaps spot a rare, elusive moth before it vanishes into the night?

I've been fortunate enough to do several bat walks and some surveys in this woodland and know several species of these winged mammals that call this woodland home, such as the common pipistrelle, noctule and brown long eared bats.

All have been previously recorded here, but as always, I'm excited to see if we can add any more species to that list.

Our bat detector will help us find these night flyers and will enjoy watching and listening to them as they go about their nightly routines.

If you haven't used a bat detector before, it's a handheld device that turns the high frequency calls of bats, which we can't usually hear, into sounds we can listen to.

By tuning the detector to different frequencies, we can figure out which bat species are nearby.

A distant call hints at the woodland's hidden animals.

To our right, a badger is moving through the undergrowth and it jumps in that comical, customary way they do when they're surprised and it quickly disappears from view.

At the woodland edge, a roe deer stops silhouetted in the moonlight.

Or there's a call from a tawny owl up in the trees and later we'll return for a drink and a moth survey that we have been looking forward to.

The midsummer air is warm, it's still above 20 degrees as it nears 7:30 in the evening and the woods feel quietly exciting.

About 30 nature lovers gather under the first stars, each eager to see what the the night brings.

I have my magenta bat detector with me and it's set to 45 kilohertz, which is where you will find the call of common pipistrelles, the most common bat to be found in the uk.

The common pipistrelle is a small brown bat with a dark face.

It has a wingspan of up to 25 centimeters and a head and body length of just under five.

It weighs around five grams, which is about the same as a 20 pence coin.

Common pipistrelles have an erratic flight pattern, often flying around or just above human head height.

They are known as hawkers, which means that they catch and eat insects in flight.

The Sounds produced by common pipistrelles are above the range of human hearing, except for for some of their social calls, which may just be within the hearing range of younger children or adults with exceptionally good hearing.

With a bat detector, a common pipistrelle's call sound like a series of clicks at the higher end of the range, which can be up to 75kHz and around 45kHz, where their call is strongest.

It sounds like a wet cloth being slapped onto the draining board.

Now, in the middle of summer, the female bats gather in their maternity colonies to give birth to a single pup.

In June or possibly early July.

And for the next three to four weeks, the young are fed solely on their mother's milk.

Then, from around the end of July, the young can fly, and by mid August they'll be able to forage for themselves.

In summer, male bats roost alone or in small groups.

During the main mating season, from July to early September, they'll defend their territories as mating roosts and attract females with special calls called song flights.

Maternity groups will often alternate their maternity roosts between the old pump house of the mill building, which is hung with tiles on the upper part of the walls that adjoin the roof and tree holes.

In the woodland, they mostly feed in the meadow where the insects are plentiful.

Right now, the females are feeding their young milk and heading out to catch insects for themselves.

As we continue, I lower my detector's frequency to 25 kilohertz.

This is one of the lowest sounds made by our native bats.

It's quite common in nature for larger animals to make deeper calls, and that is true of the next bat species that we are hoping to find.

The noctule bat is the largest bat species found in Britain, with a body length of up to 4.8cm and a wingspan that can extend to 40cm.

Like many native bat species, the noctule will have a single pup.

Usually in June and currently around mid summer, the females will be in their maternity roosts with their pups.

Noctules roost in tree hollows and feed just above the tree canopy.

I lead the group to an open clearing where we can follow the noctules as they hunt.

Using the bat detector and my thermal imaging scope, some of the group members enjoy watching the red and yellow heat map of the bats as they feed.

As we look for our third bat species of the night, I hear a call and ask the group to stop and stay still and silent.

They do as I ask, and I ask them to listen what we can hear is the rather shrill communication between two tawny owls that are still at roost, but who will soon be setting out to find food.

This is likely a pair with young fledglings still at least partly dependent on their parents for food.

The bats have gone quiet since noctules are preyed upon by tawny owls and the two share much of the same habitat.

Most people think tawny owls mainly hunt small rodents, and they do.

But bats are also a big part of their diet, along with larger moths and dusk flying insects.

Tawny owls are incredibly adaptable, adaptable as a species and will find food within most environments.

They are territorial and will often live within a single woodland for their entire lives.

This woodland is one of the largest.

In southern England, covering over 160 hectares.

And it's home to a strong population of tawny owls.

The third bat species we hope to find tonight is one of the hardest to find with a bat detector.

It doesn't always echolocate as much as other bats, and when it does, its calls are usually quiet.

We're looking for brown long eared bats which feed on moths, beetles, spiders, earwigs and flies.

They can take their prey from leaves on trees or even swoop down to take it from the ground.

They eat small prey mid flight, but take bigger prey to a perch where they will eat upside down.

They roost in open spaces, often in the roof space of older buildings, but here they also roost in trees.

In this case, the hibernation roost is underground in an old charcoal pit that has been covered for a century or more.

It's time to head back to base camp for the MOFF survey, but I decided to see if we can find a rare bat species that is known to live here.

I set my detector to 50 kilohertz, hoping we might just get lucky.

I heard De Natera's bats nearby, but amazing as they are, time was short and they were not the bat species that I was searching for right now.

Then from the bat detector came the call that I had hoped for.

These bats are associated with ancient woodland, a rare habitat in Britain.

And this is one of only two places I know in Sussex where Bechstein's bats can be found.

Bechstein's bat is a medium sized bat, characterized by its distinctive pink face and a pointed fox like snout.

It has light to reddish brown fur above, a pale fur underneath.

Fossil records from Sussex indicate that Bechstein's bats were common in the ancient wild woods.

Before that, many of them were cleared for agriculture.

Today they are one of the rarest.

Bat species, so it's a real thrill to report a sighting to the group.

Tonight we head back to the main camp for some refreshments before starting our moth survey.

After warming up with a homemade sweet potato soup and a mug of oat milk coffee, perfect for a long night, I excitedly head over to the glowing.

Survey area for my first ever moth survey.

My job as a guide is done for the night now, and I'm excited to learn more about moths.

Kevin's Skinner moth trap is ready.

Its light is set to attract hundreds of moths.

On a good night, he says, more.

Than 500 might show up.

Skinner traps are portable, and they also let you survey and record your moths while the trap is running.

The way it works is fairly simple, but also clever.

The trap contains a special light source that attracts moths from the surrounding area.

Drawn in by the light, the moths fly toward it and then end up inside the trap, where angled surfaces or funnels make it easy to enter but very difficult for them to escape.

The moths then settle safely in the bottom of the trap, which often contains egg cartons or other resting spots, keeping them unharmed for easy identification and later release.

Skinner traps can fold down quickly when not in use, making them easy to store and carry.

Kevin's setup uses actinic lamps powered by two car batteries.

He has a MOF collecting tent in his survey kit as well, which he tells me is ideal for use or group trapping events like this.

It's a large white fabric structure that reminds me of Enviromesh, something I use for my vegetable beds, as well as another battery powered UV light source.

Moths drawn by the light settle on the white fabric where they can be observed or collected for study.

Since the area is large and open, many people can view the moths at the same time, unlike traditional box traps.

I'm working with Mike at the moth tent tonight since it's expected to be busy.

My job is to collect moths in cardboard pots and bring them to Mike for identification, while others record the species and details for the survey.

The first moth I take is a silver grey with a hint of yellow and a wingspan of around 40 mil.

Mike tells me it's a mottled beauty.

It is a widespread species found throughout Britain with several races and intermediate forms.

Mike tells me it's a regular visitor to light and flies in June and July.

It's mainly found in woodlands, but it can be found in suburban gardens and parks with shrubs and bushes.

The larval food plants are several different plants and tree species, all common to woodland I return back to the trap and look at the mesh and see a wide range of moths climbing on it.

I decide to take a long golden orange moth.

I don't think I've seen one like this before.

Once back with Mike, I'm told that I have found an orange spotted yarrow moth, which he informs me is a widespread species in the southeast and southwest, up to about the Midlands, but it's becoming scarcer in northern England, Wales and Scotland.

They tend to be found in dry, grassy places.

The larvae feed on the rootstock of yarrow and tansy.

The adults fly in June and July, but are more often seen during the afternoon and towards sunset, not so much at night.

My third moth of the evening was one I did recognise, but I still took it over to Mike for the expert's opinion.

Elephant hawk moth, with its stunning olive green and contrasting pink coloration.

Mike said it gets its name from the caterpillar's resemblance to an elephant's trunk.

The adults fly from May to July, visiting flowers such as honeysuckle for the nectar, whilst the larvae feed mainly on rose, bay, willow, herbs, but also on other plants, including bedstraw.

It's a common species in most of Britain, including Scotland, where it has expanded its range in recent years.

Back at the mesh tent, my eye was caught by a beautiful buff white moth with mottled brown and black on its shoulders and wing edges.

When I got to Mike, he smiled and said, oh, nice.

That's a royal mantle, which is found in southern England and sometimes in parts of Ireland and Scotland, but it is generally rare throughout most of the uk.

It likes open woodland, limestone downland and lower mountain slopes.

It's known as a single brooded species, which means it has one generation that goes through all three life stages emergence, reproduction and egg laying.

In spring and early summer, the larvae feed on bed straw species.

My next find got Mike pretty excited.

Now, that is a rare one, he said with a smile, and I was excited too.

It looked like it had a mossy feather boa around its neck and unique symbol like cream markings on each wing.

It has been a visitor from mainland Europe for many years and it is known for making the journey in a single flight, which is some achievement to cross the Channel when you're the size of a moth.

Interestingly, Mike said this is the sixth consecutive year that they have recorded it here and it may be that it will be returning As a UK resident, he did go on to say we can't say that with any certainty yet, but they do seem to like it here again.

You'll do well to top that one tonight, he said as I walked away and made my way back to the mesh tent.

After some time there I spotted a small moth that caught my eye because it seemed to have large eyes on the sides the of of its head.

I popped it into a cardboard bowl, added the clear top and took it over to Mike.

Well, you must have peaked for the night now.

He said.

This one is rare.

And he called David and Charles over.

To take a look.

All three were quickly in a deep conversation before deciding that they would be retaining this moth to share with the local record centre.

Mike said that they were pretty confident it was an apple marble moth, which is very similar to the more commonly recorded oak marble but has fewer or less obvious striguli in the basal half of the wing and a pale blotch on the dorsum is much more deeply indented.

It was thought that they only fed on apple trees, but they had also been recorded on bird cherry and wild cherry trees.

They are part of the tortrix group of moths.

Tortrix moths are a family known as leafrollers because their caterpillars roll or fold leaves and use silk to hold them together, creating a sheltered place for them to develop.

These larvae are then protected inside the leaf until they pupate and emerge as adults in late July or early August.

They are known to be attracted to to light.

I was really happy with the moths that I found tonight.

I couldn't control which ones came to Kevin's mesh tent and I might have missed some really unusual ones, but I picked the ones that stood out or looked a bit different to me.

Just after midnight and Kevin shut down the lights and the core team began dismantling them and the equipment.

Most of the group of over 30 had already left, but I stayed to help carry the equipment back to the car park.

I'd really enjoyed my first moth survey Raven.

My camper van was parked at the edge of the dark woodland car park.

I thought back on a great evening, finding unusual moths and seeing Charles, David and Mike's excitement when we found the apple marble moth.

Mike knew a lot about moths and he was a great host and I was pleased to lead the bat walk and talk in exchange for a night to of moth surveying.

And I couldn't help smile about finding the Beck Steens bats with the group earlier, as the midnight moon shimmered across the treetops, the feeling of our mid summer adventure remains.

It was a night filled with fluttering moths and the quiet beauty of bats.

The woodland, once mysterious, now feels like an old friend, its secrets more special because we shared them.

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Thank you for joining us for this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

Have you seen any interesting wildlife recently?

Please do share your stories and pictures with us by sending us an email or posting them on our social media pages.

We hope you've enjoyed our first adventure into the mystical world of moths.

From discovering beautiful moths to the excitement.

Of hearing and seeing bats in the.

Wild, it was an evening full of wonder and joy.

And it's a night we'll remember for a long time.

Wildlife Matters will return in two weeks with the first part of a special two part journey to one of London's wildest places, the incredible Walthamstow Wetlands.

So make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode.

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Every comment and every share helps our podcast community grow.

And as always, thank you for spending your time with us.

We appreciate every single listener.

Until then, stay curious, wild ones.

This is Wildlife Matters signing off.