River Thames Bat Walk, Monday July 15th, 2013

In order to measure the results of our project work in Richmond, Kingston and Hounslow, it is necessary to be able to survey sites for species that it is hoped will benefit from the creation of habitat or the reintroduction of certain management regimes. One animal that is an important indicator is the bat. We're blessed in Richmond that 55 percent of the land area is open space, compared with a mere 12 percent in Kingston, while Hounslow claims to have the "highest percentage of green areas of all London boroughs" (http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces.htm). All this open space, together with continuous mature tree lines along our rivers are important for bat foraging and roosting.
Our guide and trainer for the evening was renowned local bat expert, Alison Fure, who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of these fascinating creatures. The group met on the Hampton Wick side of Kingston Bridge and were issued with the all-important bat detectors. After a short introduction about the use of the detectors and what we might be able to detect, we started off along Barge Walk in the direction of Hampton Court Palace.
After walking for some time, without detecting anything other than bush crickets at 30 kHz, the light was quickly fading as we approached the outlet tunnel from the famous filter beds at Seething Wells on the Surrey bank. This is a prime site for bats, and so it was that the first bats we detected were Daubenton's emerging from the tunnel. Now it was pretty dark, particularly away from the light pollution of central Kingston, and it wasn't long before bats were all around.  Within no time at all, we'd detected six species, including Common pipestrelle, Soprano pipestrelle, Nathusias's pipestrelle, and the rather rare Leisler's and Natterer's, as well as Daubenton's feeding over the water. Occasionally, Alison would shout "20", which was our instruction to turn our bat detectors to the frequency where we might detect Leisler's or perhaps Nocutule bats, but being novices we were usually too slow and the bat had gone.
It's easy to forget the time as one focuses on trying to distinguish between the different species according to their ultrasonic behaviour, and so within no time at all we needed to head back to Kingston Bridge, detecting as we went. By now bats were foraging on insects all along the towpath.
By the time we got back to Kingston it was late, but everyone had enjoyed a fascinating evening. Strangely, joining a bat walk is perhaps one of the few occasions when you would choose to venture along the banks of the Thames at night.
Now, hopefully we feel better equipped to try and survey bats at other sites across the three boroughs, to help us understand how our work can benefit different species.

Alison explains the mechanics of bat detectors.

The group heads off. 

The bright lights of Kingston are left behind.

To listen to a Leisler's bat click on the link http://www.bats.org.uk/nbmp_tutorials_NI/tutorial33.html

Noctule http://www.bats.org.uk/nbmp_tutorials/tutorial33.html

Serotine http://www.bats.org.uk/nbmp_tutorials/tutorial34.html

Soprano pipistrelle http://www.bats.org.uk/nbmp_tutorials/tutorial39.html

Common pipistrelle http://www.bats.org.uk/nbmp_tutorials/tutorial40.html

Daunbenton's bat on Springwatch

Bench-painting and balsam bashing, Tolworth Brook/Surbiton Stream, Berrylands , Tuesday July 2nd, 2013

There's always plenty to keep the Kingston Greenspace Volunteers busy around the Meldone Avenue car park in Berrylands. If it's not picking up 11 rum bottles from the bushes, removing chairs from the undergrowth, or retrieving dumped garden waste, it's painting graffiti-covered benches. Using the famous 'Kingston Green' paint, provided by Quadron Services, a small group of volunteers set about transforming three benches.
Once this task was completed, the group continued to clear invasive Himalayan balsam from the Tolworth Brook, in a bid to reduce the impact of seeds travelling downstream to Elmbridge Meadows on the banks of the Hogsmill River. This stretch was much more badly affected by the plants than had been expected, so it will be necessary to make a return visit on July 14th. Please join us, if you can.

First, the all-important preparation.

Then comes the 'Kingston Green' paint. 

What a difference!

Himalayan balsam grows well in soft sediment at the margins.

Non-native wall species such as Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus) and Ivy-leaved toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis), thrive on artificial river walls. 

Rather surprisingly, native Branched bur-reed (Sparganium erectum) is holding up well, despite the fully-reinforced concrete-lined river channel.