The results exceeded our expectations: in the Prudnik and Krościenko Forest Districts, we observed 100% occupancy of these shelters by bats (just 2-3 months after their construction!). And the results in the other forest districts are also excellent! An interesting fact is that the first observations of bats were made not only under the upper ‘crown’, but also in the space under the main façade, which we did not observe in the newly erected huts during last year’s inspections.
Unlike last season, bats stayed in the huts no longer just one at a time. We observed groups of several individuals, and in one of the huts in the Limanowa Forest District, we found a colony of western barbastelles numbering at least 19 individuals! The western barbastelle usually chooses places in tree crevices for its summer hiding places: behind protruding bark, where branches diverge, and in cracks in tree trunks. It is a very secretive species, whose shelters are difficult to find, which makes this discovery all the more significant! In addition to dormice, we observed: lesser horseshoe bats (of course, they know that the huts are shelters designed mainly for them!), Brandt’s bats, whiskered bats and pipistrelles. The shape of the guano in the attics indicates that other species also visit the huts.
What do bats like about these huts? The structural solutions designed with the bats in mind include: gaps under the façade (the space between the concrete rings and the wood), a special upper gap called a crown, a wooden attic made of unplaned boards with numerous cuts, additional boards providing gaps, suspended perforated bricks, and rough boards that make it easier for bats to cling to the ceiling with their claws. In a word, a spacious interior and comfortable living conditions!
A Moomine, previously unseen here, appeared in one of the huts (see photo in the gallery). For now, we are not reacting, hoping that it will not become a plague in the future. After all, although extremely likeable, it is a species alien to our forests.
Western Barbastelles
The upper crown, imitating a natural shelter, has been accepted by the barbastelles
Brandt’s bat Myotis brandtii
Lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros in a hut (daytime roost)
Bat entrance window at the top of the hut
A wide range of shelters
Facade inspection
Additional plank
Raw planks with notches to help bats catch on
Inspection of the upper crown
Bat Hut in the Golden Mountains (Góry Złote)
Foraging evidence
In the Bardo Forest District
Guano
Hut in the Stołowe (Table) Mountains
Upper crown and gap under the façade
A new species in the bat hut
‘At night, owls hooted and bats circled silently above the house. The forest was full of noise’ – Tove Jansson
