Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy

SEPTEMBER is a month to see insects, fruit and fungi.

Fungi are now developing fast.

There are some spectacular species to be seen and this is reflected in our spy section.

Wherever there are insects, however, there are bats and, although many people do not like them, we should give them the credit they deserve.

If bats were not present in our countryside we would all be inundated with flies.

Bats and some birds eat thousands of flying insects over each 24 hour period.

Birds catch the insects by day and the bats by night.

Bats are now protected by law because they have become so scarce in recent years that they need time to build up their populations.

They suffered badly from air pollution, agricultural chemicals and persecution.

No European bat sucks blood and they all are totally dependent upon insects.

This is why all British bats hibernate in winter.

During the autumn bats feed greedily in order to build up their body fat ready for the winter.

In East Lancashire, as in the rest of Britain, the pipistrelle is the most common species of bat.

It can be seen in and around all our towns and throughout the countryside.

Do not worry if you have bats in the roof of your house. Their droppings are light, very dry and contain no bacteria at all. In some old houses the droppings of generations of bats has meant that no insulation is needed and the householder saves money.

Other species occurring locally include long-eared bat and the noctule, both of which live in woodlands. In some areas along our rivers the Daubenton's bat is found.

This is sometimes known as the water bat and when hunting at night looks very like a small swallow.

Although bats are often described as flying mice, this is not such a good description because bat biology is much more complex and fascinating.

Bats navigate and feed by what is known as echo-location, which is an improvement on our radar system.

Those interested in these animals can buy what is known as a bat detector.

These detectors prove that each species of bat has its own unique sound.

The detectors are now so sophisticated that individual bats can be identified.

It is also possible to identify the sounds of the flying insects which the bats are hunting.

It is wonderful to discover new technology which makes our wildlife more easily understood.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.