[Capercaillie71]

I was recording bats last night at a small flooded quarry and got the following recording.

It seems fairly clear that there is a Soprano Pipistrelle at the beginning and end, but it is the bit in the middle that I am not sure about. Is it just an artefact of the recording, distorting the Soprano pip or could it be Daubenton's?

It was pretty dark, but I'm fairly sure that there were at least two bats present. I did see one flying very low and direct back and forth across the surface of the water and (?) another that was flying around the trees and bushes surrounding the pond.

[peter.jones]

Hello,

I would say you definately have a Myotis species in the middle section.
Long straight signals, and very fast repetition rate. Wouldn't like to say whether it was Daubenton's or Natterer's from the signal alone. I tend to rely on seeing their behaviour over water to determine for sure. e.g. wait until the signal is really strong then flash a torch over the water and see if a Daubenton's Bat is gliding over the surface. However, this is easier along canals and narrow rivers. If you saw one very low to the water, e.g. a couple of inches above the surface, then this was most likely a Daubenton's. Not easy when there is lots of different activity all happening at once!

Peter

[Capercaillie71]

Thanks for that. Natterer's is much scarcer than Daubenton's in NE Scotland - the site I was visiting is 30 miles north of the nearest records (although that may just reflect recording effort). The bat I saw was right on the surface of the water - I once read a description of Daubenton's looking like a tiny hovercraft skimming across the surface and that would definitely fit the bat I saw.

[peter.jones]

Yep, definitely a Daubenton's then. Natterer's would be a good challenge for you to find by the sound of it Natterer's are often over water, but usually circling round head height, often whizzing past uncomfortably close to you! They never do the hovercraft thing.