After a very successful flapping, Jasper is finally ready for release. 😎🦇
Picked up this BLE ! Seems to be in good health and eaten already !
Little Roger the BLE tucking into some mealworms. Awaiting more updates from Lucy, Marietta and Caroline on his progress with regards to flying. He's super cute even if I do say so myself!! More updates on the way.... 🦇 📰🦇
We have also received our first monies from our fundraising lottery, little by little it will all make a difference so thank you to all those that have purchased lottery tickets, it's all helping!! 🦇🍾🦇
Exciting News - Mole Valley Community Lottery is part of the national prize draw on the 28th of August where one lucky supporter will WIN A Luxury Forest Staycation With Forrest Holidays - worth £1000! So...chance of £25,000 and a 'staycation'...and helping the bats...everyone's a winner !!😉🍾🦇
https://www.molevalleylottery.co.uk/support/surrey-bat-rescue
Hope you all enjoy the video of our handsome chap!
Steve
Great night last night with all the releases, was a brought back down to earth with the bat from Horley. So I picked up the male Soprano Pipistrelle and he had a definite wing injury. Once home I could examine him properly and he had a horrible break on both sides of his elbow on his left wing...really sad and nothing that could be done with that sort of injury. Not the best end to the evening....
A new bat call this morning to a possible cat caught bat in Dovers Green, Woodhatch, Reigate (a bit closer for a change!!). Picture is a male Whiskered Bat I do believe. He has an injury to his fifth digit, one of the fingers that help form the wings. I'm hoping this will heal ok, he's on antibiotics and has taken well to fluids, even excitedly took some small chopped meal worm. Signs are encouraging, it's whether the digit will heal so that good flight is possible.
There are 3 species of bat that are extremely similar; Brandts, Alcathoe and the Whiskered, hence the 'I believe' comment. Although I'm quite certain it is a Whiskered (basically I've been checking out his errrrr 'man bits') he could be one of the other species. Once his wing heals a bit and he's settled, I'll take a few other measurements and have a definite species id. Anyway, got this post in as I've just passed a bat call onto Lucy for a suspected cat victim bat in Guildford. So you may see a post from her soonish.
Other bats in care are doing well, Pip from Addlestone which came to me via Wildlife Aid is doing really well now...eating for England. Just needs some flight practice. BLE also still needs flight practice. That's all for now TTFN 😋🦇🦇🐾
And that's No 3, Dobby from RHS Wisley. Another nice release...but think I need some kind of Go-pro camera to catch releases properly. Anyway, fun night of successful releases, now off to Hurley to pick up Earlswood lake bat. Catch you all soon, sleep tight 😊🦇🦇
Hector the BLE Bat getting flight-fit for release
Lucy again with a general update. It's been the season of BLEs here - a run of Brown Long Eared bats over the past few months, all uninjured young males found underweight, dehydrated and exhausted - I think this year has been particularly poor for insects. After first aid and initial care, I passed a few of these on to new carer Marietta, who did some sterling work getting Ollie, Dumbo and Axtell flight-fit and releasing them. A couple I kept with me, though. The most recent is Hector, who gained weight well and was raring to go with his flying. I managed to get him out at the beginning of this month just before the weather turned nasty, and after an abortive attempt (where he did a neat circle and crash landed back on the terrace! ), he flew off beautifully. It was too dark for a video, but here's one of him flying in the living room - apologies for the poor quality/light, but there's a nice bit at the end where he's hovering. They're such graceful flyers!
So I have three BLEs overwintering with me; Lee, who was the first of the underweight young males to come in. He gained weight well, but he just wouldn't fly well enough to be fit for release, despite lots of encouragement. It was looking promising and he was almost there, but when the weather turned a bit chilly at the end of September he just seemed to give up on the idea and wouldn't stay up for more than a couple of minutes at a time. I'm hoping for a better effort in the spring! I've also got Beyonce the BLE, whose badly broken finger has healed with the aid of some glue, but rather messily. It was a nasty injury but I'm hopeful that she will be able to fly well enough for release. Likewise Burt the BLE, whose very dramatic wing tears have healed better than I could've hoped for, but whose brief attempts at flying demonstrated that she'll need quite a lot of practice to get flight-fit in the spring. Finally I have FattyNattyBatty the Natterer's, whose missing finger sadly means that his wing membrane can't
Morning! Marietta here giving an update on Ollie (babysitting while Lucy is on a well deserved holiday). Ollie was found tangled in an olive tree underweight and dehydrated. Feeding attempts showed a willingness to eat but unable to handle meal worms himself. After some hand feeding and hydration he is self feeding and very chatty and really does not want to settle..last weight was 7.4g..I think..he won't sit still for very long and took off on a short flight across the room! Will get more flight practice in! He's such a character and handsome boy !
Hi all, Steve here...here is a little slide show of latest bat in care who arrived yesterday. He was on this wall for a day approx in Leathethead, as he showed no sign of moving on, we got the call after being referred by Wildlife Aid, fortunately managed to reach him without a ladder. He is a juvenile Whiskered bat. A bit feisty and vocal...as is usual with whiskereds, a little skinny but otherwise fine. He has had fluids and a bit of mealworm goo. Just need him to eat a bit more, flight test him and hopefully he will be back in the wild shortly.
Talking of back to the wild, all the intake of babies and juveniles are now off to East Sussex for flight and hunting training. They will be there for approx 4 wks before the big step of releasing them into the big wide world...this batch include - Darla, Coco, Batty McBatface, Miguel and the other pips plus The Leisler's, including Bruce are also in the same stage of progress and when ready will come back to Surrey for release. Will keep you posted on all their progress and thier final steps towards adulthood and the big wild!!
There have been many calls from all over the UK from Scotland to Portsmouth, Edenbridge to Windsor and any we haven't been able to deal with have been passed successfully to Bat carers in those areas. Thats all for now...except huge thanks to whomever bought some cages from our amazon wishlist, absolutely fantastic and useful thank you soooo much. Anyway, that's it for now, hope you are all well :)
Ok, Steve here with a bit of a week already! Apologies to all who were trying to call yesterday...had car trouble and was at work so it was extremely difficult to answer calls. But all ok now so will try to catch up today with messages and missed calls.
Saturday was a mixed day, had one very dehydrated and malnourished baby bat turn up who unfortunately died and another bat that had been in care had to be PTS as injuries and an infection was not getting any better even tbough on antibiotics...both sad cases. However, it was also a 'training day' and 3 new carers joined the team. Big welcome to Marietta, Charlotte and John. Great people and I'm sure going to be great assets to the team.
Pictures include Coco & Miguel; Batty McBatface - a new baby/juvenile soprano pip from Weybridge, he was a bit skinny at first but is ok now and joined the other 2 babies to make a team of 3.
A new bat in care from last night, huge thank you to Jay who brought this fantastic bat home to Caterham from the Vet Practice she works at in Egham. That made it a lot easier to pick up following work. This bat is a femal Leislers bat. She was just brought into the vets and dumped by a member of the public so we have absolutely no details about where she came from or how she was found. She is quite skinny, no indication she has been feeding young or any injuries of anykind. Strange one...but we'll hopefully get her fully fit and then some investigation into any known sightings of Leislers in and atound the Egham area will have to be done before release. However, she is extremely skinny so still got to get her through the next couple of days to promote recovery and ultimately her survival...will keep you posted.
And huge thank you to those who have bought stuff from our Amazon Wishlist, got home yesterday to a variety of parcels most had no name so thank you anonymous people and Tessa Weaver for the items in the pic. Cannot express enough how much we and the bats appreciate your generosity, thak
Steve here...Apologies everyone...completely my fault. I mentioned the baby bat word and soon so it was me that made this happen!! Yep..1st baby bat of the season!! This little girl weighs just 2 grams and was found in a house in East Molsey. Sam got the original call but as she is immobile after a foot operation she passed the call to me. Thankfully the family who found the baby were able to drop this female baby pipstrelle off to me at work in Kingston. Luckily, as my car is like a mobile bat hospital, have everything with me... except a heat pad! Grrr...couple of bottles with hot water will do for now. Named by Freya, this little pip is called Coco. She has been given fluids for dehydration and small cage placed on the bottles of hot water. Fed with fluids, very diluted formula at first she will have little bits around every hour and we'll see how she goes. Anyway Coco, welcome to Surrey Bat Rescue we will help you all we can. :)
Steve here...for those of you that didn't see the fantastic release of Bernie from Putney, here it is.
I'm hoping it deflects the very sad news about Shakleford that Lucy had. The swelling that Lucy reported was actually the visual part of an abscess that had quite literally taken over this bats body internally. I would like to thank the vet at Wildlife Aid with help with the diagnosis and for helping poor Shakleford move safely and painlessly into the next world. I have never seen anything like this and just glad that his pain is no more.
Don't think it will be long before we get our 1st baby bat of the season, did have one call regarding one in Edenbridge Kent and managed to find a carer from Kent Bat Group who sorted this one. Wimbledon Tennis is usually the trigger and that's very close.
A few bits have arrived from our Amazon wishlist, thank you to whomever you are. Generosity of people is always humbling and all gifts from the wish list are so gratefully received and really help. So thank you all.
Anyway...catch you soon no doubt :)
....and now the 2nd of the 2 releases for tonight. Leigh and another little pip. These guys were eating well and flight testing was a long affair as they just did not want to land! So definitely ready to go. Again just a fleeting shot as he left the hand, but hopefully you get the drift. Lovely releases, always really pleasing to have successes and see these little guys go back to where they belong. Apologies for the weird talking...bat in hand, other hand trying to video and mouth talking and holding torch...who said we can't multi-task! Have a good weekend people! :)
Hi all, just a quick post...1st of 2 releases tonight. Newdigate and a little pip...a fleeting shot as he left my hand and a bit too dark to see him flying round but hopefully you get the idea :)
