Tonight, Bat Conservation Ireland gave a bat walk at Kilkenny Castle. These nocturnal mammals, while not blind, rely on echolocation to orientate and hunt insects during the hours of darkness. In the company of Dr Tina Aughney, we wandered the grounds of Kilkenny Castle with bat detectors to eavesdrop on the wonderful hunting calls that bats make as they fly. The numerous bat species known to hunt along the River Nore in Kilkenny city include the common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelles, Leisler’s bats and Daubenton’s bats.
Many moons ago I spent time conducting Daubenton's bat surveys on the River Nore. The survey data informed conservation efforts for the species. It was lovely to get out again with a bat-talion of enthusiastic people for #BiodiversityWeek2022
Thanks to the OPW at Kilkenny Castle and to Tina and Aideen (new bat officer) for a magical evening.
