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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Bat sp. in/off at Selsey Bill, W Sussex (1 Viewer)

birdboybowley

Well-known member.....apparently so ;)
England
Hey all,
This was taken yeserday morning by a friend down at Selsey. Appreciate not the best pics but distance/weather etc they were the best available. Described as bigger than a Pip....weather was damp also. Must admit my fist thought was Particoloured but open to more expert views as a positive ID would be appreciated by all. Thanks

Selsey bat sp (1) (Large).jpg Selsey bat sp (2) (Large).jpg Selsey bat sp (3) (Large).jpg
 
I've asked friends in the Surrey Bat Group and sent them a link. My own guess was Serotine but they are saying it ought to be a known migrant, which that isn't, and in their opinion Particoloured ought to be more distinctive (which I thought too).

Northern Bat is a suggestion but they would like to post the pix on the UK batworkers Facebook page for wider scrutiny. Is that acceptable?

Cheers

John
 
I can't help with the pics I'm afraid, but have a couple of maybe related experiences..

I done a marine life survey, Portsmouth to le havre, a few September's ago. The outward crossing was overnight, and the following morning, at sea, the ship was alive with migrants: Wheatears, Firecrest, Meadow Pipit, .. and three small to medium sized bats around the floodlights at the back of the ship. Sadly, no bat detector, so they went unidentified, but Nathusius' Pipistrelle would have been likely.

I've also done bat surveys, again in September, and it is surprising how frequently Nathusius' pops up around lakes this time of year, my observations being in Hampshire.
 
They would have arrived from the continent, and in decent numbers, was my point. (But I do not know when, or where!).

Of course, Nathusius' are easily identified with a bat detector (Kuhl's Pipistrelle aside), and easily surveyed. Parti-Coloured could be doing exactly the same without us knowing.
 
Out of interest, we had a day flying bat yesterday morning (28/9/17) at Hartlepool Headland. Small to medium sized (bigger than pip). Unfortunately views were brief & it flew inland.

I wonder if this may have been a migrant, there were 13 Yellow-browed Warblers on the Headland at the time

Cheers
Martyn
 
The preliminary suggestions from batworkers are for Northern Bat with a few for Particoloured (but most thinking not contrasty enough for that). Still waiting for the full response.

I should think a day-flying bat on Hartlepool Headland is likely to be a migrant. Quite a few years ago Spurn had a Leisler's Bat roosting in the open during autumn migration.

Cheers

John
 
I would not classify myself as a bat expert, but Northern Bat looks a good call for me.

Picture below is one I photographed in roost a year back, quite similar, no? Unless of course I have misidentified mine :)
 

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One of the issues is not being able to discern much detail in the photos. If w could see the tragus in the ear it would be a start.

John
 
Thanks for the effort guys.....shame there aren't any other pics....bloody annoying I wasn't there!!
Apparently been only 1 accepted record (1987) of Northern Bat in UK.......
 
OK, here's the assembled wisdom:

"there may be a few more responses to the mystery bat photos to come but it’s probably just about run its course now. 15 people have had a say (+ 14 “Likes”), most agreeing that its a choice between parti coloured and northern. Everyone has reservations though, due to the unavoidable limitations of the photos. (To put it another way, if it was a bird it would be a probable but wouldn’t be accepted by a rarities committee.)
*
If a photo showed the tragus well it would be plain sailing. As one person said, “A bat in the hand is worth .....”
*
Northern, with its blond “highlights” can look quite parti coloured-like. On the Hungary bat trip I went on (with Ross, Lynn, Martyn Cooke and a few others), in Slovakia I was trailing behind a bit when someone called to say a parti coloured had been found behind a shutter. The Slovakian bat expert had hold of it when I caught up and everyone was chuffed with it. Then someone noticed that the tragus was not like a noctule tragus, but like a serotine tragus, and correctly declared it a northern. (Let me think, who was that? Oh yes, I do believe it was me!!)
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My vote on this one is for northern as it doesn’t look quite contrasty enough for parti coloured.
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Someone mentioned hearing a rumour that a call on a detector in the Chichester area was thought to be northern bat but it would be very similar to serotine and I don’t think it helps at all!
*
Cheers, Derek."

So there you go. Still not definitive but I doubt you are going to get better short of having a DNA sample.

Good find and always worth giving it a go. Just hope the photographer didn't have a speedlite in their pocket and forget to use it....

Cheers

John
 
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