The planned bat walk on
Saturday 2nd April 2016 generated a great deal of interest in emails
to Friends of Mayow Park and to our Facebook group. Saturday was a mild day,
sunny and relatively warm.
Although the weather
forecasters predicted rain starting after 7.30 pm it felt as if they were
likely to be wrong. . . Unfortunately the forecast was correct.
Fifty people, some with
umbrellas, met in the park at 7.45 pm, including twelve children. Dr Iain Boulton,
who was leading the walk, gave a brief introduction about bats and about using
the bat detectors. He reminded us to use the detectors in a way similar to a
torch, pointing at the trees rather than vertically up into the air. Iain gave
out the detectors, one per group of people, and we moved off.
We walked through the
park, along the path on the southern side, near the Bishopsthorpe Road houses.
With plenty of bushes and trees along that path, if the bats were out that
would be the place we might pick up their sound on the detectors.
At the holm oak tree,
near Recreation Road, we stopped and waited, then returned slowly towards the
cafe. Some people walked into the meadow where tall shrubs and trees create a
boundary with Mayow Road. Sadly no bats there either, although one young person was certain
he spotted one bat.
It had been a great
turnout of people and many enjoyed being able to stroll through the park after
dark. One boy and his mother went looking at trees in the bushes and found a
large toad, which was a thrilling discovery and one which he would remember for a
long time.
All the bat detectors
were returned and Iain offered to lead another walk, this time in September. So look out for publicity nearer the time.
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