Appendix Q. Bat Tunnel Design - Planning …...Appendix Q. Bat Tunnel Design Norwich Northern...

233906/WEM/EVT/01/A 20 March 2012 Document2

Norwich Northern Distributor Road Confidential

156

Appendix Q. Bat Tunnel Design



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Appendix R. 2013 Radiotracking Report.

Greena Ecological Consultancy

Report on a bat radio-tracking study ofBarbastelle bats

Norwich Northern Distributor RoadMay 2013

25 July 2013

V1A

Norwich Northern Distributor Road, Barbastelle radio-tracking 2013

Report compiled by

Tereza Rush


Stonehaven

Witham Friary

Frome

Somerset

BA11 5HH

Report finalised by

Geoff Billington


Stonehaven

Witham Friary

Frome

Somerset

BA11 5HH

[email protected]

Mobile 077487 42475

Agent

Sarah Jayne Collins

Mott MacDonaldDemeter House

Station RoadCambridgeCB1 2RS

Client

Norfolk County Council

Norwich Northern Distributor Road, Barbastelle radio-tracking 2013CONTENTS

Executive Summary 4

1. Background 6

2. Objectives 7

3. Study area 7

4. Methods 10

5. Limitations 12

6. Results 13

7. Discussion / Conclusions 30

8. Recommendations 32

9. References 32

Executive Summary

Introduction

1. The proposed route of the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NDR) is approximately20km in length; running from the A47 at Broadland Gate, east of Norwich, and around thenorth of the city to join with the A1067 Fakenham Road to the west of Norwich.

2. Greena Ecological Consultancy (GEC) has been contracted by Mott MacDonald on behalfof Norfolk County Council, to carry out a radio-tracking study of Barbastelle bats. Thiscontinues from previous surveys in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012 when the presence of thisbat species has been proven in the area affected by the proposed development. ThisReport gives information on the radio-tracking study carried out in May 2013 concentratingin two areas around the centre/western section of the scheme north of Drayton and theeastern end of the scheme near Great Plumstead.

Survey Results

3. Several bat species were captured during the trapping nights in May 2013. These includedCommon Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus), BrownLong-eared bat (Plecotus auritus), Natterer’s bat (Myotis nattereri), Daubenton’s bat (Myotisdaubentonii), Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) and Barbastelle (Barbastella Barbastellus), which wasthe target species of the radio-tracking study. A total of six Barbastelle bats were captured, twomales and four females.

4. Catching efforts continued daily between 3rd and 8th May 2013, then again on 12th May and16th May 2013. The radio-tracking study started on 4th May and carried on until 17th May2013, followed by roost monitoring for another 6 days. Catching sites were selected in bothareas of interest, west and east of Norwich. Due to extreme weather conditions affectingmost areas in the UK during April and May 2013, a good picture of foraging areas, roostingsites and commuting routes between the two could not be fully established. Bats rarelyemerged from their roosts and on the nights when their emergence took place, foragingonly lasted one or two hours, followed by bats returning to their roost and not re-emergingfor the rest of the night, in seven days only 15 minutes of activity of tagged bats wasrecorded.

5. Foraging areas of bats on which data could be collected were up to 4.57km from the roost, withthe average distance of 2.67km. This was a surprising result because Barbastelle bats areknown to commute long distances, frequently up to 10km from the roost and at times over20km . Local foraging can be explained by the weather conditions forcing bats back to theirroosts soon after emergence.

6. The overall areas of occurrence of all bats were divided into the west section, covering the areaof 8.14 sq.km, and the east section (restricted to data collected on bat 6), covering 0.6 sq.km.Foraging areas of bat 2 and bat 3 overlapped on 1.25sq.km of their observed home ranges.

7. The main foraging are for west section bats spread around Attlebridge, Morton, west part ofMarriot’s Way and along Fakenham Road towards Taverham. Bat 1 was captured on Marriot’sWay but then consistently roosted by Felthorpe. Bat 6 (east section) restricted foraging toseveral fields between Hospital Plantation, Eighteen Acre Plantations and The Belt, all locatednorth-east of New Rackheath.

8. Eleven roosts in total were found during the study, all in trees. One roost was confirmed as amaternity roost with counts of 5 and 4 female bats in two consecutive days. Four bats changed


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their roosting place in the duration of the study which corresponds with the formerly provenecology of Barbastelle bats.

9. Two static automatic data loggers were used to extend the manual radio-tracking study. Bothloggers repeatedly recorded radio-tagged bats and therefore confirmed their presence in thevicinity of their location. During the period of data logger running, very few bat movements tookplace in general and no tagged bats were recorded on the static loggers positioned on MarriotsWay.

10. Only three out of the six tagged bats emerged for long enough period of time to gain dataon their movement. Foraging area of bat 2 overlaps the area of proposed development inwest. Foraging area of bat 3 and the one of bat 6 come close to the proposeddevelopment.

11. Weather conditions during the May radio tracking study made it impossible to gain fullrepresentative data on the population of Barbastelle bats in the area of study and allresults must be understood as very limited representation of normal commuting andforaging behaviour.


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1.0 Background

The proposed route of the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NDR) is approximately 20km inlength; running from the A47, east of Norwich, and around the north of the city to join with theA1067 Fakenham Road to the west of Norwich.

Bat surveys undertaken in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012 in order to assess the potential impactsof the proposed scheme found evidence of Barbastelle bat (Barbastella barbastellus) activity inthe area and, following consultation with Natural England by Mott MacDonald (MM) and NorfolkCounty Council (NCC), it was agreed that further surveys for this species were required.

This study of Barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus) has been commissioned by MottMacDonald on behalf of the Norfolk Country Council due to the species being recordedrepeatedly in the area during surveys between 2007 and 2009 (BSG 2009) and based on radiotracking results of Greena Ecological Consultancy study conducted in 2012. The study wasbeing structured to obtain information on where the bats roost, breed, forage and to determinethe extent of their range.

The report provides a summary of work undertaken by Greena Ecological Consultancy in May2013, a summary of data and an outline of the mitigation, compensation and enhancementmeasures being discussed for inclusion within the scheme design with regards to Barbastellebats.

In Europe there has been a decline in abundance and contraction in the distribution range ofseveral species of bat over the last century. In Britain, even our most common and widespreadspecies, the Common and Soprano Pipistrelle bats; have suffered significant populationreductions in some regions by up to 60% over 15 years. Bats their roosts, foraging habitats andflight routes are protected under the 1981 Wildlife & Countryside Act and 2010 Habitats &Conservation Regulations (as amended). Bats are also protected from disturbance when theyare in their roosts, and their roosts are protected even if they are unoccupied.

Where developments potentially affect any UK bat species there is a legal requirement underthe 2010 Habitats & Conservation Regulations (as amended) to carry out adequate survey andassessment, and to provide where necessary mitigation to ensure the range or population sizeis not affected. Bat roosting sites, foraging areas and flight routes must be retained ormitigation measures put in place.


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2.0 Objectives

To effectively preserve the foraging areas, flight routes and roosting sites of bats, detailedinformation is required to ensure that adequate and suitable protection can be implementedthrough the various legal planning and development procedures. The objectives of this studywere to: identify the principal feeding areas and commuting routes of various colonies or partsof the population of Barbastelle bats in the Norwich area in order to ensure continued access tothe various foraging areas found to be used plus determine the night and day roosts used.

Special attention was paid to the area of the proposed development of NDR, in order toaccurately and correctly assess the potential impacts of the development.

Main objectives of the study:

Trapping within/ close to areas proposed for the scheme on sites previously determinedby trapping, static bat detector recordings or by transect surveys as those with regularoccurrence of Barbastelles in order to catch these bats and allow radio tagging andtracking of them.Obtaining detailed information on areas and routes the local Barbastelle bats use withinthe land to be impacted by the proposed development in comparison to the surroundingland.Identifying roosting sites, commuting routes and foraging areas in the wider landscape.Processing the data to determine proportional use of different sites and compilation ofmaps of roosts, foraging areas and flight routes.

3.0 Study area

While previous survey efforts (2007 – 2009) concentrated mainly on the west part of theproposed scheme, the study in 2012 took place mainly east and north-east of Norwich, coveringcivil parishes of Beeston and St. Andrew, Rackheath, Salhouse, Great and Little Plumstead,Blofield and Brundall. Both, the west and the east area, were subject to study in 2013.

The area of main interest was specified by the proposal of the NDR (Figure 1 overleaf).


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Figure 1 The proposed route of NDR (supplied by Mott MacDonald)

The east section was roughly delimited by Lenwade in west, followed the A1067 Norwich Road,Fakenham Road towards Taverham and Drayton and extending to Ringland lane in the south-west, crossing Reepham Lane and extending towards the B1149 in north-east.

The west section subject to the study in May 2013 extended roughly between Spixworth inwest, towards Thorpe End in south, Little Plumstead in east, towards Salhouse and Rackheathin north. Railway corridor between Norwich and Wroxham is cutting across the area of study inthe south-north direction.

Several wooded areas were considered important for Barbastelle roosting and foraging,amongst the most important in east section belonged Weston Park, Morton Plantation,extensive wooded area north and south around the west end of Marriot’s Way, Millhill Plantationand wooded areas north and east of Felthorpe. In the west section it was Pig’s Park / Fir Covert/ Heath Wood, area between the Eighteen Acre Plantation, Eleven Acre Plantation, woodedarea surrounding Little Plumstead Hospital and Great Plumstead Hall as well as Triangle Wood.

Figures 2A and 2B show catching places in the west and east section. Two trapping sessionsalso took place around Spixworth Lodge and Quaker Farm. These are not shown on the mapand were unsuccessful for trapping Barbastelle bats.

NorwichFig

F

h Northern Distributor Road, Barbastelle radio-tracking 2013gure 2A Trapping sites in western section

Figure 2B Trapping sites in east section

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4.0 Methods

A valid licence to carry out bat trapping and radio tracking had been obtained from NaturalEngland and authorisation to access the land involved was obtained by Mott MacDonald fromlandowners in advance of commencing fieldwork. The Barbastelle Research Group wascontacted and they provided details of their Barbastelle records in the area the most recordednear Great Plumstead Hospital, one of the trapping sites. Previous successful trapping siteswere used i.e. Marriots Way and footpath off Smee Lane.

Because of working at night the police were notified of each session of the activities, personneland vehicles involved.

Two different approaches to radio tracking bats give different results. Tracking individual bats byat least one surveyor can determine complete behaviour and proportional habitat use; but this islimited to small numbers of animals. The second approach that has been used for this study isto track larger numbers of bats that determines a higher proportion of the overall home range ofthe local population. Higher sample number of animals increases data gathering on roostingsites, numbers of animals visiting feeding areas and going through corridors.

Location of foraging areas and commuting routes as well as roost locations (particularlymaternity roost locations) for Barbastelles, in relation to the position of the proposed road routeis particularly important to consider for the NDR.

Previous radio-tracking and survey work indicated areas of likely occurrence of Barbastelle batsand these were primarily used to catch bats.

Bat catching was carried out continuously between 3rd and 8th May, then again on the nights of12th and 16th of May 2013. Surveyors attempted bat catching from shortly after dusk, throughoutthe night until dawn. Radio-tracking of tagged bats commenced on 4th May 2013 and wasconducted until 17th May 2013, followed by roost monitoring for another six days, until 23rd May2013. Some of the bats were caught at roosts in Weston Park after tracking bats back to theseroosts.

The total of 6 Barbastelle bats were caught, sexed, measured and examined to ascertain ageand breeding status, the same procedure applied to all captured species of bats. The first twoBarbastelle bats, one male and one female, were captured in mist nets along Marriot’s Way inthe night of 4th May, the third, female Barbastelle then in the night of 6th May 2013, also in themist net, further west along Marriot’s Way.

An acoustic lure AutoBat acoustic lure was used during several catching nights. The lure wasre-playing synthetic calls of Barbastelle bats.

Bats number 4 and 5, both females, were captured from a tree roost which they shared with bat3 (pregnant female) and one other Barbastelle bat that was not captured on 8th May 2013.

Bat 6 was caught in a 2 bank Austbat harp trap, erected on 8th May 2013 in the Eighteen AcrePlantation near New Rackheath.

Biotrack and Titley 0.47g radio transmitters were used, with batteries lasting between 11 and 13days at 52 to 61 beats per minute. These were glued between the fur-clipped shoulder blades ofthe bats and attached using a latex adhesive; from previous experience they come offfrequently within 2 weeks of being attached. No injuries or excessive stress occurred to any batsresulted from the catching (all species) and tagging of Barbastelle bats. No captured femaleBarbastelle bats were heavily pregnant or lactating.


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The only confirmed pregnant bat was bat 3; pregnancy did not progress to late stage during theradio tracking study. Majority of bats of all species captured during catching nights in May wereunderweight comparing to an average weight of individual species in May. This suggests thatthe weather conditions dominating spring 2013 had damaging and potentially lethal influence onsome bat colonies in Norfolk, Pipistrelle bats caught were around one third of their ‘normal’weight.

Radio tagged bats were followed to their roosting sites at night and during the daytime.Minimum of three fieldworkers used Australis 26K and Sika UHF radio receivers with Yaggi rigidaerials to track bats. Omni directional antennas were used to search for bats by vehicle. Bothreceivers are able to automatically scan through different frequencies, which made it possible tosearch for a number of tagged bats at any time.

Surveyors radio tracking Barbastelle bats included Geoff Billington and Tereza Rush of GreenaEcological Consultancy, Paul Spencer, Alison Johnson, Sarah Cartmel and Katherine Boughey.Sarah Collins of Motts MacDonald and Helen Wrigley (volunteer) assisted with catching.

Two DataSika logging static receivers were used to record when radio tagged bats visited twoselected locations in order to gain additional data to manual tracking, between 9th and 17th May2013. One logger was positioned at Marriot’s Way, near crossing with Furze Lane at the gridreference of TG 16637 15529, the other one at Marriot’s Way, north-east of the quarry at thegrid reference of TG 15148 16816.

Tailor made recording sheets were used to record data and a combination of radio sets andmobile phones were used for two-way communication. Accurate bearings of bat locations weretaken from hand held sighting Silva Expedition 54 compasses. Global Positioning Systems wereused to increase the speed and accuracy of the surveyors to continuous supply their location.

For all tagged bats the following data was recorded:

Observer locationBat ID numberTriangulation bearings with other surveyor(s)Apparent location, route and behaviourRoost location and details when located

Whenever bats were commuting or at their first foraging sites, they were often observed fromfixed (often elevated) points chosen where good radio reception was available, such as at highor other suitable vantage points. Where possible surveyors made close approaches to bats, toascertain the exact foraging area and behaviour or to attempt pursuit if the bat was movingaway.

Over the radio-tracking nights surveyors attempted to build up a picture of routes bats travel andforaging areas. Surveyors positioned themselves strategically in the area of roosting sites todetermine routes bats head and spreading further afield in the due course of the radio-trackingsession. Areas and possibly corridors checked for bats using them included: Marriot’s Way,Weston Park, the surroundings of the River Wensum, Reepham Road and the surroundingwooded areas, Felthorpe and in east then Pig’s Park, the area of Plumstead Hospital, ElevenAcre Plantation, Eighteen Acre Plantation and Smee Lane to name the most important ones.


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Tracking ended either when the fieldwork period ended (generally half an hour before dawn), orwhen all bats had returned to the roost and were static or poor weather prevented bats fromflying or make them return early to their roosts. When no bats left their roost for two hours andthe weather conditions deteriorated or when bats did not leave their roost within two and halfhours after sunset, radio tracking session ceased.At the start of each survey night, estimations of environmental conditions were noted: windstrength and direction, rainfall, cloud cover and air temperature measured. Any significantchanges in weather throughout the survey period were also noted.

Daytime work included located and verifying roost occupation, recording and plotting out resultsand investigation of any night roosting sites discovered during the tracking sessions.

Results were calculated using the traditional method of minimum convex polygons (MCP). Ananimal’s home range size, shape, and position are traditionally represented by joining theoutermost fixes for that animal to form a minimum convex polygon (Mohr 1947). Outlying fixes(representing rare excursions) may unduly influence the polygon’s shape and size to produce amisrepresentation of the space actually used by the animal (McNay et al. 1994). Minimumconvex polygons (convex hulls) are an internationally accepted, standard method for estimatingspecies’ ranges, particularly in circumstances in which presence-only data are the only kind ofspatially explicit data available. One of their main strengths is their simplicity. They are used tomake area statements and to assess trends in occupied habitat, and are an important part ofthe assessment of the conservation status of species.

These estimates are, however, biased. The bias increases with sample size, and is affected bythe underlying shape of the species habitat, the magnitude of errors in locations, and the spatialand temporal distribution of sampling effort. The method of minimum convex polygons canresult in much larger and less accurate area coverage.


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5.0 Limitations

This tracking study was only carried out in one short period of the year so bats may usedifferent areas at other times of year.

The extreme weather conditions affecting majority of the UK between March and May 2013created main source of limitations in the study. Norfolk in particular was affected by unusual andprolonged spell of cold weather with dominating influence on all wildlife. Night temperatures inthe duration of the study were regularly dropping as low as 10C which is unsuitable for batemergence and foraging. Bats therefore did not emerge from their roosts for numerous nights inthe period of the radio tracking study and even when they emerged, low temperatures and lackof food sources forced them back to their roosts after a very short foraging period, in sevendays only 15 minutes of bat activity was recorded. Very restricted numbers of insects availabledue to cold spring reflected in bat foraging patterns even on nights when dusk temperaturesstayed around 110C which would normally be suitable temperature for bat foraging at the timeof the year when the radio tracking study took place. Surveyor’s realised bats often would notemerge at all despite higher temperatures if these followed after several nights of near-frost.

Based on previous studies some of which were carried out in late autumn, the roosting sitesand bat behaviour in May 2013 suggested that Barbastelle bats were still staying in or near theirhibernation sites which is considered unusual behaviour at that time of the year.For this reason, the limited results gained from the study cannot be understood as fullyrepresentative and are not fully showing Barbastelle foraging areas and commuting routesbecause the expected usual bat behaviour was modified by the given conditions.All bat species caught during trapping nights on various locations around Norwich in May 2013were considered underweight showing bats did not have the opportunity to feed post-hibernation. Several individuals were recorded dangerously underweight and caused concernsover the general development of bat populations in the area.

The accuracy of a radio-location can be affected by habitat structure and may result in biasedestimates of observed habitat use. A common source of error is signal bounce. Signal bounceoccurs most frequently in undulated terrain where a signal is deflected by a hill, resulting inpotential errors. The most effective way to overcome signal bounce during ground tracking is totake many bearings from several different places. When all signals appear to be coming fromthe same point then there is a good chance that the animal has been located correctly.However, if the signals are coming from a number of different points then signal bounce is likelystill occurring (White and Garrott 1990).The entire study area is comprised of low lying, mainly flat land with few undulations of any sizeso of limited consequence of interference for this study.

Radio tracking in urban and suburban locations is subject to particular limitations. This includesthe problem of the density and size of structures shielding radio signals, electrical interferenceand access restrictions for surveyors.


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6.0 Results

6.1 Past records and surveys

Several sessions of transect, static and automated surveys have been carried on the site in2007, 2008 and 2009.

Bat surveys undertaken in 2007 and 2008 in order to assess the potential impacts of theproposed scheme found evidence of Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) activity in the areaand, following consultation with Natural England by Mott MacDonald (MM) and Norfolk CountyCouncil (NCC), it was agreed that further surveys for this species were required. (BSG 2009)

Baker Shepherd Gillespie (BSG) were commissioned with their team including: CorylusEcology, Greena Ecological Consultancy and Geckoella, to carry out the necessary specialistbat survey work in 2009 and to provide advice relating to bats for the proposed NDR roadscheme.

The activity surveys carried out in 2009 have found Barbastelles to be present in every surveyarea across the site.

Barbastelles were recorded in all areas during the transect survey, except for Area 7 (betweenThorpe End and Great Plumstead). However, far fewer Barbastelle sound files were recordedoverall during the transect surveys. This is likely to be due to a functional of the directionality ofthe call of the bat. Pipistrelles were the most commonly recorded species.

The first radio-tracking survey session conducted in 2009 (29/05/09-11/06/09) focussed on thelikely foraging areas and commuting routes used by Barbastelles, identified as a result ofactivity survey work undertaken to that date and day-time ground-truthing of the mostappropriate and suitable trapping areas. Bats were directly captured by using mist nets andharp traps; the areas with the highest level of Barbastelle activity were targeted for capture ofthe bats in the first instance. The second radio-tracking session of 2009 in August was focussedon finding out further information about the Barbastelle maternity area identified as a result ofthe first radio-tracking session. An increased trapping effort in the areas around the NDR routewas undertaken, focussing on tracking Barbastelle bats only. The aim of this latter survey wasto gather addition information about the areas used by Barbastelle bats in order to place theNDR site in the context of the overall landscape used by, and the features important to, theBarbastelle bat population. Emergence counts were also made from tree roosts that bats weretracked back to.

The radio-tracking resulted in the identification of previously unknown maternity roost areas forBarbastelle bats near to Felthorpe (~2.5km north of the proposed road scheme) and Weston(~2.3km west of the proposed road scheme), identified as a result of the first and second radio-tracking sessions respectively. It is considered likely that the Barbastelle bats present withinthese areas are likely to be from the same population, as individuals from both areas weretracked over the route of the NDR. The key foraging and commuting areas identified thus far forBarbastelles that are relevant to the proposed NDR scheme have included areas over the lineof the proposed NDR route (Marriott’s Way, Spixworth). The Barbastelles tracked in both radio-tracking sessions do not seem to just stay within woodland, being regularly recorded flyingalong sheltered linear routes (e.g. Marriott’s Way) but also flying out in the open (at Salle Parkand Spixworth).


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Key areas for other bat species identified along the route included: Spixworth, identified as anarea of a maternity roost of Natterer’s bats; Beeston Park/Springs area, supporting breedingDaubenton’s bats and Rackheath supporting breeding Brown Long-eared bats.

Greena Ecological Consultancy was commissioned to undertake a radio tracking study ofBarbastelle bats in the east section of the proposed development in August 2012. Three batswere captured and radio tracked during the study, two males and one female.Several important foraging areas were determined during the radio-tracking study. These weredelimited by Bulmers Coppice, Paine’s Yard Wood, Fir Covert, Rackheath Hall, Heath Woodand Pig’s Park in the north and connected through Thorpe End and Triangle Wood to greatPlumstead Hall in the south. Based on the results of automatic loggers, the area between LowRoad and Smee Lane between Thorpe St. Andrew and Great Plumstead, was also regularlyused for bat commuting and foraging.All the above mentioned areas formed the main part of the foraging area of bat 1; however, itwas several times recorded further west in Racecourse Plantation and further south-east inGreat Plumstead.The foraging area of bat 2 was the largest one of the three and extended as far north asSalhouse and east towards Little Plumstead and Little Plumstead Hospital.The foraging area of bat 3 spread in an approximately triangular shape between RackheathPark in the north, Heath farm in the south and The Grange east of Little Plumstead Hospital.All bats shared a large percentage (26.9%) of their foraging areas between them whichsuggests that the sample of bats could be considered representative for the area of study andthe shared foraging area must be seen as a confirmed of regular location of Barbastelleoccurrence.All tracked bats tended to stay relatively local which was confirmed by automatic loggers. Thisis rather unexpected for this species of bats because Barbastelles usually cover a large homerange and are known to be strong and powerful fliers. The fact that the bats in the sample werenot regularly flying long distances suggests that food resources in the area of study aresufficient. The importance of the north part of the shared foraging area must be particularlystressed because all three bats visited Pig’s Park, Fir Covert, heath Wood and the area west ofNew Rackheath on regular basis and often for longer periods of time in order to forage, two outof the three Barbastelles also used this area for roosting.The fact that all three bats were caught commuting along the footpath off Smee Lane but onlybat 3 was recorded south of the catching place suggests that the other bats also forage furthersouth but were not recorded there during the study, none were recorded south of the A47.The total of five roosts was discovered during the study in August 2012. All bats appeared touse their roosts individually with no other Barbastelle bats present at the same time. Nomaternity roosts were recorded in 2012.The study solely concentrated on the east section of the proposed development.

6.2 Bat captures

Catching sessions took place daily (between 3rd and 8th May inclusive, then again on 12th and16th May 2013) using a set of up to 6 mist nets, one triple high net and four harp traps. GreenaEcological Consultancy attempted catching on the following locations in the east section: SmeeLane footpath (3 times), Plumstead Hospital and Eighteen Acre Plantation. The remainingcatching sessions took place in the west section of the proposed development: on two locationsalong Marriot’s Way, on Sandy Lane, on Hall Lane in Felthorpe and from a discovered maternity


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roost in Weston Park. Numerous bat species were caught, measured and sexed. Details ofcaptures are listed in the following tables.

Grid references are shown as 8 figures where traps were set up spread over an area rather thanset at a specific location and grid reference applies to the approximate centre of such an area.

The key below lists the abbreviations used in the following tables:

KEYP45 Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)P55 Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus)BLE Brown Long-eared (Plecotus auritus)Noct Noctule (Nyctalus noctula)MNatt Natterer’s (Myotis nattereri)MDaub Daubenton’s (Myotis daubentonii)Barb Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus)

M – male, F - female

Table 1 Captures 03/05/2013, Smee Lane footpath – Broadland Gate, TG 2887 09864 single mist nets

Time caught Species Sex Forearm Net Wg. bat –bag wg.

21.35 P45 M 31.7 3.8g

22.00 P45 M 30.6 3.9g

22.20 P45 M 31.9 5.3g

00.00 P55 M 30.5 4.2g

Table 2 Captures 04/05/2013, Marriot’s Way, TG 1520 16805 single mist nets, 4 harp traps, acoustic lure


22.30 P45 F 32.8 5.1g22.40 P45 F 30.6 4.4g23.00 P45 F 32.6 4.7g23.50 Barb M 38.1 8.0g23.50 P55 M 30.6 4.3g01.50 Barb F 40.9 8.5g


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Table 3 Captures 05/05/2013, catching on two locationsTable 3A Captures 05/05/2013, Hall Lane, TG 1626 18643 single mist nets, 2 harp traps


21.30 BLE F 37.9 6.3g21.30 P55 F 31.5 4.2g22.00 P45 F 32.6 5.0g22.00 P55 M 30.6 4.4g23.00 P55 M 31.2 4.0g23.00 P55 F 32.0 4.5g23.00 P45 M 31.6 4.2g00.00 P55 F 33.0 4.8g00.00 BLE M 37.9 6.2g00.00 P55 F 32.4 5.1g00.00 P55 F 31.7 4.5g02.20 P55 F 31.1 4.6g

Table 3B Captures 05/05/2013, Sandy Lane, TG 1532 1755


22.30 BLE F 38.3 6.2g

Table 4. Captures 06/05/2013, Marriot’s Way, TG 1448 17045 single mist nets, 1 triple high net, 4 harp traps

Time caught Species Sex Forearm Net Wg.21.15 P55 F 31.8 4.5g21.15 P55 F 31.4 4.2g21.15 P55 M 32.1 4.2g21.30 P55 M 30.0 4.3g21.30 Noct M 51.4 22.0g21.30 Barb F - -21.45 P55 F 31.7 4.1g21.45 P45 M 30.3 4.3g21.55 P55 M 30.0 3.9g21.55 P55 F 32.5 4.9g21.55 P55 F 31.8 4.2g22.10 P45 M 30.9 5.0g22.10 P55 F 31.4 4.1g22.10 P55 M 30.5 3.7g22.50 P55 M 30.4 3.8g23.00 P55 F 31.7 4.8g23.10 P45 F 31.2 5.0g23.10 P55 F 31.4 4.4g23.10 Barb F 39.4 9.0g23.10 P45 F 31.2 4.1g23.10 P55 M 30.1 4.1g23.10 P55 M 31.5 4.3g23.10 P55 F 32.0 5.8g23.10 P45 F 32.4 5.2g00.00 P55 F 30.0 5.7g00.00 P55 F 32.4 5.1g01.00 P55 M 31.3 4.2g01.00 P55 F 32.9 5.5g01.00 P55 F 30.8 4.9g01.00 P55 F 32.5 5.0g


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02.00 P55 F 31.7 5.1g02.00 MNatt F 40.3 7.8g03.00 P55 F 32.5 4.9g03.00 P55 F 31.9 5.0g03.00 P55 F 30.1 4.5g04.00 P55x3 F - -04.00 P55x2 F - -04.00 MDaub F - -

Table 5 Captures 07/05/2013, catching on two locations

Table 5A Captures 07/05/2013, Spixworth Lodge, TG 2406 14657 single mist nets, 2 harp traps


22.15 BLE F 40.9 7.5g00.00 P45 F 31.5 4.6g

Table 5B Captures 07/05/2013, Quaker Farm, TG 23294 143832 harp traps


21.30 BLE F 40.0 6.7g21.30 BLE F 39.4 6.7g23.15 MNatt M 40.6 7.1g23.15 BLE F 39.3 7.2g23.15 BLE F 39.1 7.2g01.50 P55 M 30.7 4.6g01.50 MNatt M 40.7 6.8g01.50 BLE F 39.5 6.6g02.00 P55 M 30.7 4.6g

Table 6 Captures 08/05/2013 catching from roost and on two locations

Table 6A Captures 08/05/2013 from maternity roost in Weston Park, TG 11659 17241Rope access


18.30 Barb F 38.3 8.3g18.30 Barb F 38.9 8.5g

Table 6B Captures 08/05/2013, Plumstead Hospital, TG 3136 10575 single mist nets


21.14 P45 F 31.8 4.6g22.15 P55 F 31.6 5.1g22.15 P45 M 30.7 4.7g22.15 P55 F 32.0 5.2g22.15 P55 F 32.7 5.2g22.15 P45 M 30.6 4.4g22.15 P55 M 30.6 4.5g22.15 P55 M 30.0 4.9g


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22.15 P45 M 29.4 4.6g22.15 P55 F 31.6 5.2g22.45 MDaub M 38.2 8.3g22.45 P55 M 31.5 5.2g22.45 P55 M 32.6 4.9g23.45 MDaub M 35.6 7.5g00.30 P55 F 31.8 5.3g00.30 P45 M 31.4 4.2g01.30 MNatt M 38.1 8.6g

Table 6C Captures 08/05/2013, Eighteen Acre Plantation, TG 3051 13114 harp traps


22.45 P55 M 30.7 5.0g00.55 BLE F 40.4 7.1g00.55 Barb M 38.1 7.4g00.55 P55 F 32.8 5.1g

Table 7 Captures 12/05/2013 Smee Lane – Broadland Gate, TG 2887 09865 single mist nets, 2 harp traps


23.00 P55 M 31.8 5.1g

Table 8 Captures 16/05/2013, Smee Lane – Broadland Gate, TG 2887 09864 single mist nets


22.00 P55 M 31.1 4.1g

23.10 P55 M 31.2 4.7g

Figure 3 Overall bat captures

0

10

20

30

40

50

60


20

In total 100 bats were captured. The most abundant were Soprano Pipistrelles (Pipistrelluspygmaeus), followed by Common Pipistrelles (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and Brown Long-earedbats (Plecotus auritus).

Table 9 Catching locations

date location grid reference bats

03/05/2013 Smee Lane TG 2887 0989 N/A04/05/2013 Marriot's Way TG 1520 1680 1, 205/05/2013 Hall Lane, Felthorpe TG 1626 1864 N/A05/05/2013 Sandy Lane TG 1532 1755 N/A06/05/2013 Marriot's Way TG 1448 1704 307/05/2013 Spixworth Lodge TG 2406 1465 N/A07/05/2013 Quaker Farm barn TG 23294 14383 N/A08/05/2013 Weston Park TG 11659 17241 4, 508/05/2013 Plumstead Hospital TG 3136 1057 N/A08/05/2013 18 Acre Plantation TG 3051 1311 612/05/2013 Smee Lane TG 2887 0989 N/A16/05/2013 Smee Lane TG 2887 0989 N/A

6.3 Tracking observation points

At the start of nights tracking and where bat activity continues for long periods of time staticmonitoring points were used that were on vantage points, in good radio signal reception zonesand / or on bat commuting routes. The table below shows the most significant points.

Table 10 Tracking observation points

Location Grid referenceMarl Hill Road TG 12285 16931Felthorpe Road TG 14008 16976Station Road TG 12790 17605King William’s Drive TG 15402 16737Broad Lane TG 13132 18132Hall Lane TG 16159 18447Church Farm TG 13166 16650Ringland Road TG 14924 14096Weston Park Lodge TG 11958 17387Attlebridge TG 12859 17654Morton bridge TG 12495 16971Synergy House TG 11832 17493Salhouse Lane TG 31334 11794Norwich Road TG 30597 12481


21

Eighteen Acre Plantation TG 30552 13169Mousehold Farm TG 29236 13117

6.4 Foraging areas, commuting routes and roosting sites

These have been designated by the use bats made of them as combined areas of roostingsites, commuting and foraging areas of individual bats.

Bats foraging areas ranged up to 4.57km from the roost with the average maximum distance offoraging area from the roost being 2.67km. This calculation included all radio-tracked bats thatcould be radio tracked – bats 1, 2, 3 and 6. The average foraging distance from roost was1.52km for males (bat 1, bat 6) and 2.55km for females (this calculation included bats 2, 3 and4, despite the fact that bat 4 did not leave the roost during the period of study; roosting site ofbat 5 was not found).

The overall foraging area of all bats that could be radio tracked in the west section of theproposed development covered 8.14sq km, out of which bat 1 covered 0.16sq km (2%), bat 2(female) covered 5.62sq km (69%) and bat 3 (pregnant female) covered 3.61sq km (44.3%). Aproportion of the overall foraging area was used by both female bats – 1.25sq km (15.4%).

Bat 6 (male) was the only bat caught and radio tracked in the east section of the proposeddevelopment. Its foraging area extended over 0.60sq km with the maximum foraging distancefrom roost being 1.12 km. No comparison with other bats in the area could be made andcomparison with home ranges and foraging distances of bats radio tracked in 2012 would notbe relevant due to the extreme weather conditions in 2013.

The area used by the two bats proved to be the most significant foraging area. It was the areanorth of Attlebridge, following the west part of Marriot’s Way and covering Morton Plantation.

Recorded bat behaviour cannot be considered representative to the bat population in eithersection throughout the year.

Bat 1 was captured at Marriot’s Way and used three roosts during the period of study, inproximity to each other, all located in oak trees in Millhill Plantation at the grid references of TG16156 18368, TG 16213 18455 and TG 16216 18448. Bat 2, also caught at Marriot’s Way, wasroosting solitary in an oak in Morton Plantation at grid reference of TG 12023 17315 beforemoving to Snake Wood for one day to grid reference of TG 14952 14113 and returning to itsoriginal roost at Morton Plantation. Bat 3 was captured slightly more west at Marriot’s Way andchanged its roost once during the radio tracking period. It was originally roosting in a maternityroost with other 4 female Barbastelle bats (3 present the following day), but moved roost after ithas been used to capture bats 4 and 5. The new roost of bat 3 was in close vicinity to itsoriginal roost, they were located at grid references of TG 11659 17241 and TG 11455 17166.Bat 4 was captured from the roost identified thanks to bat 3 and changed its roosting site twiceduring the May radio tracking study. All roosts were located within Weston Park, the original atgrid reference of TG 11659 17241, followed by a roost at grid reference of TG 11743 17397 andlater TG 11790 17413. Bat 5 was captured together with bat 4 from the original roost of bat 3but its location after that is not known. Bat 5 was not heard during the evening / night radiotracking sessions and its roosting site was not found despite numerous efforts. It is presumed


22

that bat 5 either moved a fair distance from its original roost or, more likely, the radio transmitterof bat 5 failed shortly after activation.

Bat 6, the only bat of the east section of the proposed development during the radio trackingstudy conducted in May 2013, was captured in Eighteen Acre Plantation and its roost waslocated in Hospital Plantation nearby. It never changed its roost in the due course of the radiotracking study.

All important commuting routes and foraging areas of bats in the west section of the proposeddevelopment are shown in Figure 4, Figure 5 shows the foraging area of bat 6 (east section ofthe proposed development).

Key to home range maps:

Foraging area of the bat

Commuting route of the bat

Confirmed roosting place of the bat

Border of a foraging area of the bat


23

Figure 4 Home ranges of bats 1 (brown), 2 (green) and 3 (yellow)

Figure 5 Home range of bat 6

Map © crown copyright All rights reserved reproduced under Greena EcologicalConsultancy licence no. 100041148

Map © crown copyright All rights reserved reproduced under Greena EcologicalConsultancy licence no. 100041148


24

Data loggers were placed during the radio-tracking session in order to gain additional data inthe manual radio-tracking period. They were placed on 9th May 2013 and collected on 17th May2013. Very little bat movements were observed during the period of running static automaticloggers. They were placed strategically in the area of the proposed development in the westsection – along Marriot’s Way. Due to the extreme weather conditions, none of the bat fittedwith radio transmitters was recorded on either static logging device.

A total of eleven roosts were discovered during the study. All bats with the exception of bat 6changed their roosting place throughout the study which is a well know Barbastelle behaviour.Table 11 shows locations of roosts found in May 2013. Table 12 shows roost usage and dateswhen individual bats changed roost.

Table 11 Location of roosts

batsusing

gridreference location emergence tree sp.

treetag dia. ht. asp. type

date number cm m

A 2TG 1202317315

MortonPlantation 06-May 1 oak 993 50 5.5 NW

flakingbark

B 1TG 1615618368

MillhillPlantation N/A N/A oak 949 45 5 NE

flakingbark

C3, 4,5

TG 1165917241

WestonPark 07/05;08/05 5; 4 oak 945 65 9 NE

rotcavity

D 2TG 1495214113

SnakeWood N/A N/A oak // 114 4.5 NE

cavityorflakingbark

E 4TG 1174317397

WestonPark N/A N/A oak 992 65 12 E

flakingbark

F 3TG 1145517166

WestonPark 11-May 1 hornbeam 48 95

6 -8 N scar

G 6TG 2989913429

HospitalPlantation N/A N/A dead oak 951 85

5 -6 SW

flakingbark

H 1TG 1621318455

MillhillPlantation N/A N/A oak 952 80 9 N

pocketsin bark

I 1TG 1621618448

MillhillPlantation N/A N/A oak 985 102 12 C

verticalcallous

J 4TG 1179017413

WestonPark N/A N/A oak 907 69 12 NE

deadlimb


25

Table 12 Roost usage

Bat

06/05

07/05

08/05

09/05

10/05

11/05

12/05

13/05

14/05

15/05

16/05

17/05

18/05

19/05

20/05

21/05

22/05

23/05

24/05

1 B B B B H I I I I I I I // // // // // // //

2 A D A A A A A A A A A A A A A // // // //

3 // C C F F F F F F F F F F F F F // // //

4 // // C E E E E E E E E E J J J J J J //

5 // // C // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // //

6 // // // G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G

Figure 6 Roost A: tree (left), feature (right)


26

Figure 7 Roost B: tree (left), feature (right)

Figure 8 Roost C: tree (left), feature (right)


27

Figure 9 Roost D: tree (left), feature (right)


28

Figure 10 Roost E: tree (left), feature (right)

Figure 11 Roost F: tree (left), feature (right)


29

Figure 12 Roost G: tree (left), feature (right)

Figure 13 Roost H: tree (left), feature (right)


30

Figure 14 Roost I: tree (left), feature (right)

Figure 15 Roost J: tree (left), feature (right)


31

6.5 Weather conditions

At the start of each survey night, estimations of environmental conditions were noted: wind(Beaufort scale) and direction; rainfall (0-5) an estimate of intensity from 0 none to 5 heavy rain;cloud cover (0-100%) overall coverage of entire sky; air temperature (Celsius). Any markedchanges in weather throughout the survey period were also noted. Weather conditions aresummarized in the following table.

Table 13 Weather conditions

DateMax

Temp (oC)Min

Temp (oC)Precipitation

(mm) Sunrise Sunset03/05/2013 18 2 0 05:19 20:2504/05/2013 16 7 0 05:17 20:2705/05/2013 18 5 0 05:15 20:2906/05/2013 19 9 0 05:14 20:3007/05/2013 20 7 0 05:12 20:3208/05/2013 17 8 5 05:10 20:3409/05/2013 15 4 3 05:08 20:3510/05/2013 16 9 3 05:06 20:3711/05/2013 13 4 9 05:05 20:3912/05/2013 13 1 4 05:03 20:4013/05/2013 13 3 3 05:01 20:4214/05/2013 12 2 10 05:00 20:4415/05/2013 12 4 6 04:58 20:4516/05/2013 14 6 3 04:57 20:4717/05/2013 11 6 2 04:55 20:4818/05/2013 14 8 3 04:54 20:5019/05/2013 18 6 0 04:52 20:5120/05/2013 15 9 4 04:51 20:5321/05/2013 13 7 1 04:49 20:5422/05/2013 14 7 3 04:48 20:5623/05/2013 9 3 7 04:47 20:5724/05/2013 9 4 15 04:45 20:59

Weather conditions were not suitable most nights for bats to emerge and feed. Bat did notemerge on numerous nights and even if they did, worsening weather conditions forced themback it their roosts after a short foraging period.


32

7.0 Discussion/ Conclusions

During this radio-tracking study the aims were not achieved due to poor weather conditions.Surveyors were not able to radio track bats on most night because bats often did not emergefrom their roosts.

Despite collecting some data during the nights when bats did emerge, these cannot beconsidered as data describing normal bat behaviour in this area accurately.

Some aims set for this study have been achieved. Greena Ecological Consultancy has:

Radio tagged 6 Barbastelle batsCollected data on limited foraging areas of bat 2, bat 3 from the west section of theproposed development and on bat 6 from the east section of the proposed developmentDetermined the relative importance of different sections of the survey area to bats basedon foraging and commuting behaviour biased by the weather conditionsLocated bat roosting sitesIdentified habitat components that need retaining

Bat captures

Only a low number of Barbastelle bats were captured. All three Barbastelles in the west sectionof the proposed development were captured on the disused railway corridor of Marriot’s Way orfrom an identified maternity roost in Weston Park. Bat 6 of the east section of the proposeddevelopment was captured in Eighteen Acre Plantation. The bats radio-tracked in this studywere two adult males and four adult females, one of them (bat 3) was obviously but not heavilypregnant.

All captured bat species were considered underweight based on average weight of individualspecies in May. Some of the captured Pipistrelle bats were considered dangerouslyunderweight and caused concerns regarding the potential survival rate of bat colonies in Norfolkfollowing very poor weather conditions lasting until the end of May.

Tracking observation points

Tracking observation points were chosen at vantage points or where a commuting route of batsin the first part of the night was predicted. Areas of bat commuting and foraging could beeliminated systematically based on the direction of commuting routes recorded.Due to the given weather conditions, tracking observation points were often chosen close to aknown Barbastelle roost during this study. This allowed surveyors to monitor whether a batemerged at all.


33

Foraging areas and home ranges

Recorded bat behaviour cannot be considered representative to the local Barbastellepopulation. Both radio tagged male bats emerged very rarely and only foraged in the local areato their roost.Female bats were forced to forage further afield and emerge even in conditions that were notideal, perhaps to sustain pregnancy. Both female bats that Greena Ecological Consultancy wasable to radio track foraged in the same areas repeatedly, probably commuting to well-knownfeeding places before returning to roost shortly after emergence.

Roosts

The total of eleven roosts was found as a result of the radio-tracking study conducted in May2013. As expected in Barbastelles, all roosts were located in trees, often in cracks or underpeeling bark. Non-breeding Barbastelles often roost solitary. One maternity roost was found inWeston Park during this study. An emergence count has been conducted with the total numberof 5 bats using the roost at the same time. When bats changed roosts, they often remained veryclose to the previous roost suggesting they were perhaps forced to find shelter shortly afteremergence due to worsening weather conditions.

Based on previous studies it appears that bats captured in the west section of the proposeddevelopment were still remaining in or near their hibernation site which would correspond withthe weather patterns in spring 2013.

Weather

Conditions were unsuitable for bats to feed in on most nights, emergence often did not occureither due to the current weather or due to the fact that several previous nights were too cold forany insects to be available.

8.0 Recommendations

Marriot’s Way was repeatedly proven to be a good commuting corridor for bat of all species andof high importance for Barbastelle bats.

Ensure in the landscape design there is at least twice the loss of hedgerows re-created/including where possible translocation plus retention / re-creation/ alternativesurrounding habitat to generate insect biomass particularly micro and macro moths.Include/ manage for scrub within planting as this has been shown to be a key habitatIf insufficient on site habitat to offset habitat loss to produce insects cannot be sustainedthen consider off site negotiation with adjacent landowners to enhance some of theirland.


34

Continued and possibly expanded moth monitoring pre, during and post works to ensuremoth biomass and diversity is maintained and if possible enhanced.Another Barbastelle radio tracking study would be recommended in order to gainrepresentative data describing the usual Barbastelle behaviour in this area accuratelyand to create a comparable base line for future population monitoringOne year after the construction site has been cleared carry out another Barbastelle radiotracking session in late summer as a monitoring measure.Continue bat detector monitoring pre, during and post construction.

9.0 References

Billington, G., 2012. Further Research on the Barbastelle Bat, Holnicote National Trust Estate,Exmoor, Somerset, Natural England Research Report.

Billington, G., 2000. Holnicote Estate Horner Woods Bat Survey, Somerset, The National Trust.

Billington, G., Rush, T., 2012, NNDR Radio tracking study of Barbastelle bats, GreenaEcological Consultancy

McNay, R. S., Morgan, J. A. and Bunnel, F. L.,1994. South Dakota Agricultural Experiment

servations in movements of Columbian black provided by South Dakota Co-operative Fish andtailed deer. The Journal of Wildlife Management, Wildlife Research Unit, South Dakota StateUniversity- 58, 422–429.

Mohr, C.O., 1947. Table of equivalent populations of North American small mammals. Am MidlNat 37:223–249

White, G. C., and R. A. Garrott. 1990. Analysis of wildlife radio-tracking data. Academic Press,New York, New York, USA.


31

ANNEX - Roost photographs

Roost A Rackheath Park

Roost D Paines Yard Wood


32

Roost E March Covert



159

Appendix T. 2009 Radio tracking Report

Norwich Northern Distributor Road Bat Activity and Radio-tracking Surveys 2009

January 2010

Draft

Rev 1

ISSUING OFFICE:

Worton Rectory Park

Oxford

OX29 4SX

TEL: 01865 883833

FAX: 01865 887055

Web: www.bsg-ecology.com Email: [email protected] Offices in: Bakewell, Oxford, Berwick-upon-Tweed & Monmouth Registered in: Cardiff No. OC328772 Registered address: Arden House Deepdale Business Park Ashford Road Bakewell Derbyshire DE45 1GT Members: A list of members is available at each office.

Client Mott MacDonald and Norfolk County Council

Job Name Norwich Northern Distributor Road

Report title Bat Activity and Radio-tracking Surveys 2009

File reference BSG_bat_survey_report_(2009_surveys)_1st_DRAFT.doc

Signed Name Position Date

Originated Helen Evriviades Principal ecologist 03-02-10

Reviewed Dr Peter Shepherd Partner 05-02-10

Mott MacDonald and Norfolk County Council NDR

BSG bat survey report (2009 surveys) 1st DRAFT.doc i

Report Contents

1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project description................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background ............................................................................................. 1

1.2.1 Bats and roads ...................................................................................... 1 1.2.2 Previous survey work ............................................................................ 1 1.2.3 Approach to survey work 2009 .............................................................. 1

1.3 Aims of report .......................................................................................... 2

2 Methodology ......................................................................................... 3 2.1 Desk Study .............................................................................................. 3 2.2 Activity surveys ....................................................................................... 3

2.2.1 Rationale ............................................................................................... 3 2.2.2 Static surveys – unmanned ................................................................... 3 2.2.3 Notes on the Anabat detector ................................................................ 4 2.2.4 Static surveys - manned ........................................................................ 5 2.2.5 Notes on the Pettersson and Duet linked detector ................................. 6 2.2.6 Transect Surveys .................................................................................. 6 2.2.7 Calibration ............................................................................................. 7 2.2.8 Analysis of recorded data ...................................................................... 7 2.2.9 Making sense of the analysed data ....................................................... 9 2.2.10 Constraints on activity surveys .............................................................. 9

2.3 Radio-tracking surveys .......................................................................... 10 2.3.1 Analysis............................................................................................... 12 2.3.2 Constraints on radio-tracking surveys ................................................. 12

3 Results ................................................................................................. 14 3.1 Activity surveys ..................................................................................... 14

3.1.1 Static surveys – unmanned ................................................................. 14 3.1.2 Static surveys - manned ...................................................................... 20 3.1.3 Transect Surveys ................................................................................ 24

3.2 Radio-tracking surveys .......................................................................... 26 3.2.1 June session ....................................................................................... 26 3.2.2 August session .................................................................................... 28 3.2.3 Highlights of the June and August radio-tracking survey results .......... 30

4 Legislation and Policy Guidance ...................................................... 35

5 Evaluation............................................................................................ 37 5.1 Barbastelle ............................................................................................ 37

5.1.1 Identified roosts and habitat description .............................................. 37 5.1.2 Description of roosting features ........................................................... 37 5.1.3 Barbastelle colonies ............................................................................ 38 5.1.4 Home ranges, foraging areas, and flight paths .................................... 39 5.1.5 Value of barbastelle resource .............................................................. 41

5.2 Big bats ................................................................................................. 41 5.2.1 Patterns of activity ............................................................................... 41 5.2.2 Value of big bat resource .................................................................... 42

5.3 Myotis/Plecotus ..................................................................................... 42 5.3.1 Identified roosts and habitat use .......................................................... 42


BSG bat survey report (2009 surveys) 1st DRAFT.doc ii

5.3.2 Value of Myotis/Plecotus resource ...................................................... 43 5.4 Pipistrelles ............................................................................................. 43

5.4.1 Patterns of activity ............................................................................... 43 5.4.2 Value of pipistrelle resource. ............................................................... 43

6 Potential Impacts and Recommendations ....................................... 44 6.1 Area 1 ................................................................................................... 44

6.1.1 Loss or disturbance of roosts .............................................................. 44 6.1.2 Severance of flight paths and loss or disturbance of feeding areas ..... 45 6.1.3 Mitigation, compensation and enhancement ....................................... 45

6.2 Area 2 ................................................................................................... 46 6.2.1 Loss or disturbance of roosts .............................................................. 46 6.2.2 Severance of flight paths and loss or disturbance of feeding areas ..... 46 6.2.3 Mitigation, compensation and enhancement ....................................... 47


6.4 Area 4 ................................................................................................... 49 6.4.1 Loss or disturbance of roosts .............................................................. 49 6.4.2 Severance of flight paths and loss or disturbance of feeding areas; .... 49 6.4.3 Mitigation, compensation and enhancement ....................................... 50




6.8 Licensing ............................................................................................... 55 6.9 Evidence for the efficacy of proposed measures .................................. 55

6.9.1 Evidence for bat use of tunnels ........................................................... 55 6.9.2 Evidence for bat use of bridges and hop overs .................................... 56 6.9.3 Evidence of importance of habitat enhancement for barbastelles ........ 56

6.10 Further Survey ...................................................................................... 56 6.10.1 Activity Surveys ................................................................................... 57 6.10.2 Radio-tracking surveys. ....................................................................... 57 6.10.3 Assessment ........................................................................................ 59

6.11 Monitoring ............................................................................................. 60

7 Conclusion .......................................................................................... 61

8 References .......................................................................................... 62

Figures: Activity surveys ........................................................................ 65

Appendix 1: Radio-tracking figures provided by Corylus Ecology .... 66


BSG bat survey report (2009 surveys) 1st DRAFT.doc iii

Appendix 2: Graphs showing number of bats/hour by species by anabat each month.................................................................................................... 67

Area 1 ........................................................................................................... 67 Area 2 ........................................................................................................... 72 Area 3 ........................................................................................................... 77 Area 4 ........................................................................................................... 82 Area 5 ........................................................................................................... 87 Area 6 ........................................................................................................... 92 Area 7 ........................................................................................................... 97

Appendix 3: Full details of all bats caught during the June and August radio-tracking sessions ............................................................................. 102

June session ............................................................................................... 102 August session ............................................................................................ 115

Appendix 4: Description of tree and building roosts that tagged bats were tracked to (June and August Sessions) ................................................... 130

June Session............................................................................................... 130 August Session ........................................................................................... 136

Appendix 5: Detailed descriptions of the activities of each radio-tracked bat: June ...................................................................................................... 142

Female barbastelle bats .............................................................................. 142 Male Barbastelle bats .................................................................................. 143 Other bat species ........................................................................................ 147 Brown long-eared bats ................................................................................ 147 Natterer’s bats ............................................................................................. 148 Daubenton’s bats ........................................................................................ 149 Nathusius pipistrelle .................................................................................... 150

Appendix 6: Detailed descriptions of the activities of each radio-tracked bat: August .................................................................................................. 151

Female Barbastelle Bats ............................................................................. 151 Weston Golf Course cluster ........................................................................ 152 Male Barbastelle Bats ................................................................................. 158


Page 1

1 Introduction

1.1 Project description The proposed route of the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NDR) starts from the A1067 Fakenham Road to the west of the city, near to Attlebridge, and passes eastwards around the north of the city to join with the A47 east of Norwich, near to Postwick. The route is approximately 20km in length. The route is shown in Figure A1.

1.2 Background

1.2.1 Bats and roads

Fragmentation of the landscape is one of the greatest problems for animals which use large home ranges and/or different habitats within a landscape (Kunz and Racey,1998; Hutson et al., 2001; Racey and Entwistle, 2003; Safi and Kerth, 2004; Lacki et al., 2007 all in Kerth and Melber, 2009; Bach et al., 2004; Underhill and Angold, 2000 ). A number of studies have looked at the effects of roads on bats, including assessments of the numbers of bats killed as a result of direct collision with vehicles (e.g. Lesinski, 2007; Lesinski, 2008). Research has largely considered the effect of roads upon individuals rather than understanding the impacts of roads at the population level (Underhill, 2000). However, adverse impacts on rare species with a slow reproductive rate could be expected to adversely affect population levels if mortality reaches a point where it is greater than recruitment into the population, through reproduction and/or immigration (Forman and Alexander 1998). All UK bat species have a low reproductive rate, the breeding females usually produce one young per year, with females not necessarily successfully rearing their young each year (Altringham, 2003).

The ecological foraging strategy of a bat species is thought to be important in determining the likely effects of a road scheme on bat populations. Roads are thought to have a greater impact on bats that forage close to surfaces (gleaning species) than on bats that forage in open space as the roads represent a stronger barrier to and present increased potential for direct killing of gleaning bats (Kerth and Melber, 2008). One recent study has provided some evidence to support this hypothesis: Lesinski (2008) found in his study on bats in Poland that gleaning bats formed 70% of the dead bats collected as road-kill from a 1km road section.

The impact of the proposed NDR on bat populations will depend upon:

• the species of bat present and their rarity

• the way that bats are currently using the area to be affected by the scheme (roost locations, foraging areas and flight paths)

• the foraging ecology of the bats present

It is important to understand these factors in order to determine a baseline against which an assessment of likely impacts can be made.

1.2.2 Previous survey work

Bat surveys were undertaken by various different consultancies in 2007 (Norfolk Wildlife Trust) and 2008 (EcoGraphics, Mott MacDonald and Kepwick Ecological Surveys) in order to assess the potential impacts of the proposed NDR scheme (EcoGraphics, 2008; Mott MacDonald, 2008). Whilst comprehensive in extent, these surveys did not provide a data-set which allows spatial and temporal comparison of data collected as it was collected from different parts of the scheme at different times of the survey season. However, these surveys did identify the presence of barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus in the area.

1.2.3 Approach to survey work 2009

Following consultation with Natural England by Mott MacDonald (MM) and Norfolk County Council (NCC), it was agreed that additional surveys focussing on barbastelle bats were required. Further


Page 2

review of the 2007 and 2008 data determined that in order to provide a robust and defendable baseline for the scheme in relation to bats, the scope of the survey work needed to be expanded to include consideration of all bat species. The focus of the survey work remained however with barbastelles as whilst they are a widespread species, they are rare in Europe (Altringham, 2003) and benefit from special protection under European law as a result (Joint Nature Conservation Committee, 2007).

1.3 Aims of report Baker Shepherd Gillespie were commissioned with their team including: Corylus Ecology, Greena Ecological Consultancy and Geckoella, to carry out specialist bat survey work and provide specialist advice relating to bats for the proposed NDR scheme in March 2009.

Focussing on the area within the footprint of the scheme and the habitats around it, the aims of the work were to:

• To determine whether there are breeding barbastelle bats present and to describe the habitats and roosts used by this species;

• Identify areas used for foraging and flight paths by barbastelle and patterns of activity through the season;

• Locate roosts, key foraging sites and flight corridors used by other species of bat

Using this information this report:

• Evaluates the bat resource identified as a result of the survey work;

• Provides advice on potential impacts resulting from the proposed scheme;

• Provides recommendations relating to advice on mitigation/compensation/enhancement, including evidence for the efficacy of proposed measures;

• Provides recommendations for future survey and/or monitoring.

The sections within this report relating to radio-tracking are taken from the report by Corylus Ecology to Baker Shepherd Gillespie (Corylus Ecology, 2010).

This report will provide information required to inform the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the scheme which is due to be submitted for consideration later in 2010. However it does not provide an assessment of the likely significance of impacts or consideration of residual impacts as the design for the scheme has yet to be fixed.


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2 Methodology

2.1 Desk Study Mott MacDonald approached local bat groups for existing information on bats in the area. However, no information had been received at the time of writing this report. Previous reports were reviewed prior to commencement of the survey work including the following reports (as mentioned in the introduction):

• Ecographics (2008) Bat activity survey of section of the proposed route of the Norwich northern distributor road, Norwich, Norfolk. October 2008. Report for Mott MacDonald. Unpublished.

• Mott MacDonald (2008) Norwich Northern Distributor Road. Environmental Statement. Ecology and Nature Conservation (Volume 1). November 2008. Unpublished report.

In addition, a wide ranging review of books and papers published in peer-reviewed journals has been undertaken. Some unpublished data has also been provided by Geoff Billington. The review has focussed on studies looking at the effects of roads on bats and the efficacy of bat mitigation/compensation measures implemented for road schemes elsewhere (mainly in Europe), in order to provide support for the recommendations given.

2.2 Activity surveys

2.2.1 Rationale

The design of the approach to the activity surveys was to ensure that they would meet with survey standards (Bat Conservation Trust, 2007) and to ensure that the survey would provide a spatially and temporally robust data set, allowing comparative analysis of relative levels of bat activity across the scheme and the surrounding area. The systematic way this information has been collected also allows it to be subsequently used as a baseline against which monitoring of the effects of the NDR, both during and post-construction, can be measured.

The Bat Survey Guidelines (Bat Conservation Trust 2007) provide guidance on the level of survey effort that should be employed for activity surveys. For those species listed on Annex II of the Habitats Directive (barbastelle is one of these – see section 4) the guidelines recommend that up to two survey visits per month during the active season are required for each area, particularly where a proposed development covers a wide area (larger than 1ha) and is within 4km of a known roost. Prior to commencement of this survey it was not known whether there were any barbastelle roosts within the NDR footprint or it’s surroundings, but the survey approach was devised to ensure they met with these guidelines in any case.

Seven survey areas were identified across the scheme: Attlebridge (1), Drayton Drewray (2), Horsford (3), Spixworth (4), Beeston St Andrew (5) Rackheath (6) and Plumstead (7). These survey areas were selected on the basis of the locations of the habitat with the best potential to support foraging/roosting or commuting bats across the scheme. MM and NCC asked BSG to commence survey work in areas 1-6 only at the start of the season. However, once information came to light indicating that barbastelles had also previously been recorded in the Plumstead area, survey work was also undertaken within area 7 from July 2009 onwards using the same methodology as the other areas.

A single transect survey visit per month (April-September inclusive), combined with static survey work in each identified survey area was undertaken. All activity survey work was co-ordinated and led by Helen Evriviades MIEEM (bat survey license number 20093492). At least one member of each transect and static-manned survey team was always a licensed bat surveyor.

2.2.2 Static surveys – unmanned

In each of the seven key areas identified for survey, Anabat detectors were used to assess bat activity. Paired fixed points were identified along a key potential bat commuting routes crossed by


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the NDR route in each area. These potential commuting routes were identified as a result of previous survey work and/or on-site assessment of potential commuting features. In all, 14 fixed points on 7 linear features were monitored concurrently using anabats for each period of survey. The Anabats were programmed to begin recording from at least 30 minutes before sunset until 30 minutes after sunrise on each evening of the survey period, taking into account the change in sunrise and sunset time over the monitoring period. Survey hours varied throughout the survey season according to daylight hours. Figures A1 and A2 show the location of the static detectors in relation to the proposed development footprint; Table 1 shows the periods of static survey each month.

Table 1: Periods of static survey each month

April May June July August September

Dates of static survey in all areas

16th/17th-29th April

15th/16th May – 27th/28th

May

4th June-16th/17th June

8th/9th July-20th /21st July

12th/13th August- 22nd/23rd August

9th/10th September -21st/22nd September

Minimum no. survey nights per anabat

13 12 13 12 10 12

Minimum no. anabat survey nights over whole site each month

156 144 156 168 140 168

Anabats were secured in water-proof housings with the microphone set at approximately the same height (on a 2m cable) at each fixed point monitoring location. Microphones were also housed in waterproof casings. Anabats were set out and collected on all occasions by Helen Evriviades MIEEM and Kate Jeffreys MIEEM.

2.2.3 Notes on the Anabat detector

The Anabat is a frequency division broadband bat detector with internal storage and computing power that allows the unit to be used as a remote fixed-point detector. Recording is triggered by high frequency ultrasound, such as bat echolocation calls, in the vicinity of the detector, and any bat echolocation calls are stored as sound files on an internal Compact Flash Card. Detection is thought to be most efficient between 7.5º either side of directly ahead (0º = on axis) of the microphone with detection distances decreasing with increasing angles from the axis (Larson & Hayes, 2000). Its advantage is that it collects data from all high level frequencies (from around 5kHz-200kHz) in real-time; the disadvantage is that in order to do this some detail is lost from the recorded call. However, the fundamental aspects of the recorded call are retained, allowing storage of large amounts of data for subsequent analysis (Corben, 2006).

Although no published research exists to date, Anabats are likely to detect calls from particular species of bats at greater distances than others for the following reasons:

• The Anabat microphone does not have a flat frequency response with a peak detection frequency range of around 40-50 kHz.

• Calls which contain lower frequencies, which attenuate less in the atmosphere than high frequencies, can be detected at greater distances.

• Calls which contain stronger constant frequency (CF) components tend to be louder for two main reasons:

1. The energy of the call is contained within a smaller frequency range and the call will be detected at greater distances.


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2. CF calls are generally used by bats to interpret open and less ‘cluttered’ environments where they are less likely to be impeded or distorted by physical barriers.

• Calls which contain a greater range of frequencies, i.e. frequency modulated (FM), tend to be quieter than CF calls for the following reasons:

1. The energy of the call is dissipated over a large frequency range and will only be detected at short distances.

2. FM calls are generally used to interpret ‘cluttered’ environments at short range and are often impeded or distorted by physical barriers, such as hedgerows.

It is possible to categorise bat species according to how loud their calls are, however the ability of bat detectors to pick them up is affected by many different variables, for example, the angle of the sound source from the microphone, the habitat the bat is flying in, the behaviour of the bat etc. In general, the loudest bats are large bats which use low frequency CF calls such as noctule Nyctalus noctula and the quietest are those which use FM calls such as the brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus or high frequencies, such as horseshoe bats Rhinolophus sp. As a result, the Anabat is biased to detect loud bats more efficiently as well as those which call within the peak detection frequency range. This will lead to a bias in the data which is difficult to correct for. However, all systems which are able to detect bat ultrasound calls have advantages and disadvantages; the anabat system is the best and most cost-effective way of collecting large amounts of point bat data currently available on the market and this is why it was used for this study. However, it is important to be aware of its limitations when reviewing results.

2.2.4 Static surveys - manned

In three of the seven survey areas (areas, 1, 3 and 6) a static manned survey was undertaken. This involved paired surveyors at fixed points recording and observing bat activity from at least 15 minutes before sunset until 2-3 hours after sunset. One survey was carried out in each area concurrently in May, July and September. A static manned survey point was added in area 4 from July onwards, following results observed during the first radio-tracking session. Figures B1 and B2 show the locations of the static manned surveys; dates and weather conditions during the survey are given below.

Table 2 Dates, lead surveyor and weather conditions for static-manned surveys

Date of static- manned survey

Area 1 Area3 Area 4 Area 6

May 14-05-09 Lead surveyor Helen Evriviades Guy Newman N/A Kate Jeffreys

Start/finish temperature

17/11.5˚C 13/11˚C N/A 15/11˚C

July 08-07-09 Lead surveyor Helen Evriviades David Stiles Peter Scrimshaw

Kate Jeffreys

Start/finish temperature

16.7/13.4˚C 16.5/13.1˚C 12.5/12.2˚C 12/12˚C

September 09-09-09

Lead surveyor Helen Evriviades Guy Newman Peter Scrimshaw

Kate Jeffreys

Start/Finish temperature

18.2/11.8˚C 17.5/11.5˚C 16.8/11.6˚C 13/9˚C

Surveyors used Pettersson and Duet linked detectors connected to a high-definition mini-disc recorder, and an Anabat detector to listen to and record calls during the survey. Notes were made on the time of observations, species heard and, where possible, direction of flight/note of activity (e.g. feeding/commuting).


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2.2.5 Notes on the Pettersson and Duet linked detector

The Pettersson is a heterodyne and time-expansion bat detector; the Duet is a frequency division detector. Neither has internal storage capacity, and needs to be linked externally to a recording device to enable recording. Both have external speakers and ear-phone sockets allowing the surveyor to listen to the calls detected during a survey. The system used for the static manned and transect surveys used a connector which links the Duet and Pettersson together allowing the surveyor to listen to the frequency division from the Duet constantly in their left ear, and to manually trigger the time expansion of the Pettersson and listen to that in their right ear. The mini-disc player was set to constantly record so that it has the entire Duet (frequency division) data recorded to the left channel and the Pettersson (time expansion) data – when manually triggered- recorded to the right channel.

Both detectors use omni-directional microphones, which is an advantage over Anabats; no data is available on detection distances, but the detections distances for both the Duet and the Pettersson will vary dependent on the bat species involved for the same reasons discussed in section 3.2.3 relating to the Anabat.

The advantage of the system used is that it allows constant frequency division recording and listening, at the same time as allowing time expansion recordings (which contain much more detail of the call recorded) of key bat species identified by ear, for later analysis.

2.2.6 Transect Surveys

A walked transect was undertaken in each survey area each month April-September inclusive (July-September inclusive for Area 7). The surveys were undertaken by three or four pairs of surveyors (a pair of surveyors per transect) so that the transects could all be completed over two nights, allowing data collected to be used comparatively. Each survey area was selected to cover the most suitable habitat within and close to the site and such that each transect was of a suitable length for a single evening’s survey. Each transect commenced with an observation period of 1hr prior to commencement of the transect itself, to allow observations of any emergence activity in the area. A number of 3 minute stop points (10-15 for each transect route) were also undertaken during the transect. Taking into account the 1hr observation period (commencing at least 15 minutes prior to sunset) and the length of each of the transect routes (3.5-4.5 miles), each transect lasted for between 3-4hrs. The timing of the surveys covered the bat emergence period and the period of most intense foraging activity when invertebrate prey is most abundant (Altringham, 2003). The transect start point was altered for each survey to ensure that different parts of the transect were surveyed at different times of the night (relative to sunset time) through the survey season. Figures C1 and C2 show the locations of the transect routes and the stop points along each transect.

Surveyors worked in pairs using Duet detectors (frequency division) linked to Pettersson detectors (time expansion) and a high-definition mini-disc recorder, and using Anabat detectors connected to a GPS. Notes were made during the survey on the bat species heard and seen, including time, location and, where possible, direction of flight. Survey dates, weather conditions and lead surveyors are given in the table below.


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Table 3 Dates, lead surveyor and weather conditions for transect surveys

Area 1 Area 2 Area3 Area 4 Area 5 Area 6 Area 7

April Date 28th 29th 28th 29th 28th 29th N/A

Lead surveyor

Helen Evriviades

Helen Evriviades

Edward Bodsworth

Edward Bodsworth

Kate Jeffreys

Kate Jeffreys

Temperature start/end

11/6.4˚C 14.1/7.7˚C 11/6˚C 12/7.5˚C 7/6˚C 10/8˚C

May Date 27th 28th 27th 28th 28th 27th N/A

Lead surveyor

Helen Evriviades

Helen Evriviades

Edward Bodsworth

Edward Bodsworth

Kate Jeffreys

Kate Jeffreys


17.5/15.1˚C 17.3/12.5˚C 16/14˚C 16.9/13.2˚C 16/14˚C 16/14˚C

June Date 17th 18th 17th 18th 18th 17th N/A

Lead surveyor

Helen Evriviades

Helen Evriviades

David Stiles

David Stiles

Kate Jeffreys

Kate Jeffreys


17.3/13.7˚C 16.7/13.1˚C 18.7/13˚C 16.3/11.1˚C 15/13˚C 15/11˚C

July Date 22nd 23rd 22nd 23rd 23rd 22nd 22nd

Lead surveyor

Helen Evriviades

Helen Evriviades

Edward Bodsworth

Edward Bodsworth

Kate Jeffreys

Kate Jeffreys

Peter Scrimshaw


19.1/13.5˚C 19.4/14.2˚C 19.3/15.1˚C 18.1/14.3˚C 16/13˚C 16/13˚C 18/13˚C

Aug- ust

Date 25th 26th 25th 26th 25th 26th 25th

Lead surveyor

Helen Evriviades

Helen Evriviades

Edward Bodsworth

Edward Bodsworth

Kate Jeffreys

Kate Jeffreys

Peter Scrimshaw


20.6/15.8˚C 22.1/23.4˚C 17/15˚C 17/20˚C 18/14˚C 20/21˚C 18/14˚C

Sept Date 24th 29th 29th 24th 24th 23rd 24th

Lead surveyor

Helen Evriviades

Helen Evriviades

Kate Jeffreys

Edward Bodsworth

Kate Jeffreys

Kate Jeffreys

Peter Scrimshaw


18.9/12.7˚C 19.1/15.3˚C 17/13˚C 14.4/12.4˚C 14/14 20/13˚C 16.1/11.6˚C

2.2.7 Calibration

Prior to use, all Anabats were calibrated to ensure that the sensitivity of the units to bat calls was equal (following a methodology similar to that given in Larson and Hayes, 2000). The Anabats were re-calibrated twice through the season.

2.2.8 Analysis of recorded data

Subsequent to survey work, data collected using Anabats was analysed using Analook. Data collected using Petterssons and Duets was analysed using BatSound.


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Where possible the bat was identified to species level. For species of long-eared bats Plecotus sp. records were not identified to species level due to the overlapping call parameters of each species but were assumed to refer to brown long-eared bats Plecotus auritus. It is unlikely that grey long-eared bat Plecotus austriacus occur in the survey area, given the species’ known distribution and rarity (Swift & Entwistle, 2008; Altringham, 2003; Dietz et al., 2009). In addition, species of the genus Myotis were grouped together due to many of the species having overlapping call parameters making species identification problematic (BCT, 2007).

In addition, the following categories were used for calls which could not be identified with confidence due to the overlap in call characteristics between species or species groups:

• Pipistrellus sp. - calls which are clearly pipistrelle but which could not be assigned to soprano pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus, common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus or Nathusius’ pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii

• Myotis/Plecotus sp. – calls which could not clearly be assigned to either Myotis sp. or Plecotus sp.

• Nyctalus sp. – calls which could not be clearly distinguished between either Leisler’s bat Nyctalus leisleri or noctule bat Nyctalus noctula.

• Big bat – calls which could not be clearly distinguished between either Leisler’s bat, serotine bat Eptesicus serotinus or noctule bat

• Barbastellus/Eptesicus - calls which could not be clearly distinguished between either serotine bat or barbastelle bat

• Eptesicus/Plecotus – calls which could not be clearly distinguished between either serotine bat or long-eared bat

• Indeterminate – bat calls which do not have enough information in them to be able to be assigned to a species or species group.

The Analook software enables analysis of the relative activity of different species of bats by counting the minimum number of bats recorded within discreet sound files. Once triggered by ultrasound, the Anabat records sound files with a duration of less than 15 seconds, which may contain a number of individual bat passes, or discreet groups of ultrasound ‘pulses’. For the purposes of this analysis, the recording of one or more passes by a single species within a sound file is counted as a single bat pass. More than one pass of the same species was counted within a sound file if multiple bats were recorded calling simultaneously.

During analysis of sound files, it was possible to estimate the minimum number of bats recorded on individual sound files but not whether consecutive sound files had recorded, for example, a number of individual bats passing as they commute to a feeding habitat or one bat calling repeatedly as it flies up and down a hedgerow. Although relative abundance cannot be estimated from this analysis, the number of bat passes does reflect the relative importance of a feature/habitat to bats by assigning a level of bat activity that is associated with that feature, regardless of the type of activity. In this analysis, bat passes per hour has been used as a measure of relative activity. Comparing bat passes per hour between months also controls for the different night-lengths seen in different months through the season.

BatSound was used to analyse time-expansion calls recorded during the static-manned and transect surveys in the same way. Each time-expansion call (1.7 seconds real-time, 17 seconds time-expanded) was counted as a single bat pass and more than one pass if multiple bats were recorded calling simultaneously.

Both the BatSound files and Analook files were time-stamped with the time (hour:minute:second) that the call was recorded. For analysis of bat passes recorded during the static manned or transect surveys, the BatSound file was only counted as an additional bat pass if there was no Analook file with that species recorded at that time, to avoid double-counting of bat passes. The Anabats and Mini-discs were time-synced prior to the start of the surveys.


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2.2.9 Making sense of the analysed data

As discussed in the introduction, the impacts of the proposed road will depend on the bat species affected by it, relative to their foraging ecology. Therefore, in order to draw patterns out of the data which could be related directly to the likely effects on bats, the analysed calls were assigned to one of the following groups, based on their foraging ecology:

• Barbastelles – remained in a separate group due to their conservation status

• Big bats – noctules, serotines, Leisler’s and all indeterminate big bat calls – all these bats are strong fliers

• Plecotus sp./Myotis sp. – all Myotis sp. and Plecotus sp. which tend to fly and forage close to features (gleaning species)

• Pipistrelles – all pipistrelle species

• Indeterminate – bat calls which do not have enough information in them to be able to assign to a species or species group.

All species recorded during the transect surveys were mapped to GIS, except for pipistrelles, as the latter were so numerous as to obscure the other species’ records. Inputting the data to GIS allows the data to be viewed in numerous ways; the following analyses have been put together to inform this report:

• All bat species (except pipistrelles) recorded in each area through the whole season, to identify whether there are any patterns to the locations of the species’ groups recorded on the transect.

• All bat species (except pipistrelle) recorded before sunset or in the hour after sunset in each area through the whole season (which may indicate the presence of a roost nearby)

• The location of barbastelle calls recorded in each area through the whole season to identify whether there are any patterns of activity specific to this species group.

All species data recorded during the static manned and static surveys were analysed using Access and Excel, producing graphic and tabular representations of the following:

• Total number of bat passes/hour (all species) by area, by month. This will give an indication of the overall patterns of bat activity across the site.

• Total number of bat passes/hour by species group by month for each survey area, and an assessment of the % of early calls. This will allow patterns of bat activity to be assessed by species group in order to determine which areas of the site have larger numbers of bat passes recorded for bat species with different ecological foraging strategies. A high percentage of early calls recorded may indicate that there is a roost nearby.

• Total number of bat passes/hour by species group by anabat by month. The data is paired so that the data from the anabats in each area are presented together (e.g. OX16 and OX18 of area 1 - see Figure A1). This allows a broad assessment of whether there are similarities between the numbers of bat passes per hour recorded on each anabat in the area each month and therefore whether the linear feature they are placed on is likely to be used by commuting bats of that species group.

2.2.10 Constraints on activity surveys

Unfortunately there were some anabat failures during the unmanned static survey (5 incidents through the whole survey period) which meant that the anabat involved did not record data for the whole period of static survey that month. However, the data was analysed by comparing bat passes per hour between months; this controls for the different night-lengths seen in different months through the season but also, for those anabats which failed during the monitoring period, the bat passes per hour were calculated for that unit based only on the time period during which the unit was functioning, in order to avoid bias in the results (see section 2.2.8).


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One of the fixed monitoring points (OX19 in area 2) had to be moved along the linear feature it was monitoring (Marriott’s Way) by 20m half-way through the survey season as it was tampered with by a passer-by. Otherwise, all anabats monitored the same position for the survey period each month. It is considered that the slight disadvantage of having to move the OX19 Anabat along Marriott’s Way far out-weighed the major disadvantage that would result if the Anabat had remained in the same position and been tampered and/or removed by a member of the public, resulting in the loss of all data for that monitoring period.

Survey work in September on the transects was split by five or six days, instead of the usual two, due to lack of support staff. However, the conditions were similar on transects carried out on the two dates, so this is not considered a significant constraint to the survey work.

Survey work within area 7 was undertaken from July 2009 onwards only, using the same methodology as the other areas, meaning that the beginning of the season was missed. The remainder of the survey season for area 7 (i.e. April-June inclusive) will be completed in the 2010 season (see section 6).

2.3 Radio-tracking surveys Two radio-tracking sessions were undertaken in and around the proposed NDR footprint in the 2009 season in May/June (June session) and August (August session). Harp-trapping and mist-netting were carried out for both the June and August radio-tracking sessions. Ten trapping nights were undertaken between 29th May 2009 and 7th June 2009 (June Session). Eight full trapping nights were undertaken between 1st August 2009 and 11th August 2009 (August Session). In addition, during the August session, one trapping night was abandoned after one hour due to heavy rain, and two nights were spent catching direct from tree roosts, rather than using harp-traps and mist-nets. An acoustic lure (Sussex Autobat) was used near to a harp trap on each evening when trapping was undertaken specifically to attract barbastelle bats.

Little information regarding the location of barbastelle roosting sites in the vicinity of the proposed NDR footprint was known prior to commencement of work by the BSG and Corylus team in 2009. The trapping effort therefore commenced by concentrating on catching barbastelles in areas where barbastelle activity had been identified through activity surveys. Prior to commencing the first radio-tracking session, the locations of barbastelle echolocations calls recorded during previous survey work in 2008 were reviewed and suitable trapping locations were determined by a site walkover to assess habitats; the trapping locations were further informed by the locations of barbastelle echolocation calls recorded during the April and May 2009 activity surveys described in section 2.2 above. Trapping locations used in both the June and August sessions are illustrated in Figures A1 and A2 in Appendix 1.

A licence for the trapping and radio-tracking project was granted to Helen Lucking of Corylus Ecology by Natural England (Licence number 20092774). Two key accredited agents were used: Geoff Billington of Greena Ecology and Alastair Wrigley of Corylus Ecology. A number of other surveyors employed by Corylus Ecology and Greena Ecology were used as accredited agents during the trapping and for radio-tracking. All radio-trackers were experienced in such work.

Biometric data were recorded from all bats caught including the gender, forearm length and weight. Every bat was examined to ascertain its breeding status. Only bats which were in healthy condition and of suitable weight were considered for tracking. All females were checked and if found to be at an advanced stage of pregnancy they were released immediately and not used for tracking. Bats were tagged with radio-transmitters provided by Biotrack; all transmitters were less than 7% of the body weight of the bat in question with two weights of tags used: 0.35g and 0.47g. The bats being tracked were fur-clipped and the transmitters glued between the shoulder blades using SkinBond adhesive. The transmitters used were designed with at least an eight day battery life. The bats and transmitters were given time to settle prior to tuning receivers to the optimum frequency of each transmitter and releasing the bats close to where they had been caught.

Each tracked bat was assigned a number, in the order that the bats were tagged, to allow ease of distinction of bats during tracking. The August radio-tracking session continued the numbering of tagged bats from where the June session stopped. Nineteen bats were tracked during the first


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session; to avoid confusion between the numbers of bats tracked during the two sessions the number 20 was omitted, thus bats from the second session were numbered 21 and following.

Bats were radio-tracked using Australis and Sika radio-tracking scanning receivers with Yagi rigid directional aerials to track bats. Whip omni-directional antennas were employed when searching for bats by vehicle. Hand-held sighting compasses were used to take bearings and both detailed maps and handheld GPS units were used to provide locations for both surveyors and bats. Between two and five surveyors were used to radio-track the bats with both close tracking techniques and synchronised triangulation techniques used to produce joint bearings. Surveyors used radio-sets and mobile phones to allow contact to be maintained while synchronised “joint” bearings were taken.

A series of safe observation points for the radio-tracking surveyors were pre-planned to allow for safe working and to provide the best locations for the receivers for joint bearings to be taken (see Figures A3-A11 in Appendix 1). Care was taken to ensure that the surveyors were not positioned in the vicinity of overhead cables and away from cars to avoid disturbance to the compasses and radio-signals and care was taken to ensure that tag frequencies would not overlap. The surveyors concentrated the tracking effort in the first instance on the line of the proposed route, scanning for tagged bats flying in the areas of the proposed NDR. If a bat was recorded then attempts were made to take synchronised, also referred to as “joint”, bearings with another surveyor. This meant that surveyors frequently had to change locations in order to get joint bearings.

The key night-time radio-tracking surveyors were experienced in multi-bat tracking projects for development and road schemes, each holding a minimum of six years experience using similar, sustained trapping and tracking effort. Day-time surveyors with a minimum of one year radio-tracking experience were used to track bats back to day roosts which were then confirmed by more experienced surveyors. Nine surveyors worked on the project with a tenth present on two nights and a small number of assistants were also present to help with the trapping efforts.

Collecting data on breeding female bats were prioritised over male bats. If no tagged bats were in the area of the proposed NDR, surveyors would search for bats in the wider area. However, priority would always be given to those bats within the closer proximity to the scheme. As a result varying numbers of triangulation points were taken for each bat and not all bats were followed as closely as others. The focus of this survey was towards finding roosts and key maternity areas and to find if the bats utilised the area affected by and surrounding the proposed NDR route. In order to do this up to 22 bats were tagged in each radio-tracking session and effort was concentrated towards finding out which, if any, of the bats were present in the vicinity of the proposed NDR.

As a requirement under the Natural England licence for both periods of radio-tracking, the local bat group representatives were contacted, in this case Natural England Norwich Office, to inform them of the work and to check whether any other radio-tracking was being undertaken by other surveyors who should also have contacted the same bat group representatives. No such other concurrent studies were reported.

The land in the area being tracked is owned by a wide number of land owners and whilst access was sought and permitted in most areas where bat roosts were found, it was not possible to know in advance the areas where access may be needed for night time tracking. The police were informed of the work being undertaken and documentation was carried by all surveyors. Care was taken not to cause a nuisance to local residents late at night and in some instances this restricted vantage points for taking bearings.

During the June radio-tracking session, the weather at the start of the trapping was good with mild temperatures remaining above 10ºC throughout the nights. From 1st June the weather pattern began to change with light winds, occasional rain and temperatures dropping after sunset. On 3rd June temperatures dropped to 5ºC around 01:00hrs and both trapping and tracking was called off. During the August radio-tracking session, the weather was generally warmer than the June session, but was wet on the first night with occasional rain during the whole of the following week.


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2.3.1 Analysis

Detailed statistical analysis relating to the differing sizes of home ranges or core areas has not been undertaken as the same level of survey effort was not carried out for each bat. However, the fixes that have been secured have allowed a description of the areas of use for each tagged bat with reference primarily to proximity to the proposed NDR and wherever sufficient information has been gathered, analysis of home ranges has been undertaken.

The data in this report uses all available triangulation points which were determined from intersecting bearings taken simultaneously. In addition, where a bat was known to be present in a given location at a given time a data point was also generated. Where a bat was close radio-tracked, for example a bat foraging for a sustained period within a specific area, a triangulation point was generated for the approximate centre of the foraging area with a separate triangulation point generated for every ten minute intervals. Bat fixes were transferred to digital geo-referenced maps using AutoCAD and coordinates for triangulation points were determined; the extent of bat activity for each bat was plotted independently and the data was carefully scrutinised and any obviously false bearings were discarded. The coordinates of the plotted triangulation points were then transferred into the Ranges 7 software (Anatrack) and analysed to produce Minimum Convex Polygons (MCPs), Neighbour Linkage (or Clusters) and Kernel Contours. These are all methods of showing home ranges. For all bats where roosts were found, the roost sites were included within the home ranges. The analysis was carried out using 95% of the locations closest to the home range centre (for polygons produced by MCP analysis) or the densest 95% for the contour analysis (the cluster and kernel contours). Additional coordinates for areas where no joint bearings had been achieved, but where close tracking had been undertaken, were also calculated. Such additional data were combined with the triangulation data to create a separate data set for re-analysis within Ranges 7.

Within each data set, the trapping locations were specified as the focal sites and all coordinates from the night time tracking and roost locations were inputted as Location Qualifying Variables (LQV’s) within Ranges. Typically a focal site might consist of a den, nest or roost of a tracked animal. In the case of the bats tracked during this study, since animals regularly switched day roost, that location could not be used as focal site within Ranges; instead the location where the animal was caught was used for this purpose.

2.3.2 Constraints on radio-tracking surveys

Weather conditions during the first period of radio-tracking were good to start with, but part-way through the temperatures became very low at night. The temperature on one night dropped to 5˚C which was the lowest temperature recorded during the survey. This affected the success of the trapping and it was noted that the tagged bat activity reduced during the colder temperatures, reducing the amount of information gathered on those evenings.

It was not possible to secure access to a key area (Felthorpe Hall) during the June period of radio-tracking. During the August period of radio-tracking, access was limited in this area by the landowner to the eastern half of Hall Plantation and for only two hours during the daytime on Tuesday, 11th August 2009. As a result no trapping was possible within Hall Plantation during the second session and trapping effort was concentrated in the area immediately adjacent to land under the ownership of Felthorpe Hall and in areas where barbastelle bats had been trapped during the first session.

The generally flat landscape of the area made joint bearings difficult to take. There were few good vantage points for taking bearings over the wider landscape which meant the surveyors had to frequently move location to be able to take bearings. Some 218 observation points were used from which at least one bat was detected and many more observation points were used from which no bats were detected. To the north of Marriott’s Way is a large abattoir which is a large corrugated metal building surrounded by earth mounds; this was found to obscure the radio signals of the tags. Ranges 7 can allow for adjustment for accuracy, however, this was not employed in this instance. It is recognised that accuracy of data points varies with distance from the surveyor, and may be influenced by other factors including: the direction and height at which the bat is flying and the topography between the surveyor and the bat.


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It is a recognised problem that gathering regular accurate triangulated fixes for foraging bats is difficult. This is because bats forage in flight and at speed, continually twisting and turning causing fluctuations in transmitter pulse amplitude which can impede interpretation of distance and direction (Mackie, I. and Racey, P 2007). In addition the barbastelle is a wide-ranging, fast-flying, roost-switching species which makes it a difficult species to radio-track. It is recognised that for data from radio-tracking to be used to work out home ranges, fixes would typically be required at consecutive 10 minute intervals throughout consecutive nights for each animal being tracked. It was not feasible, given the number of tagged bats, the distances they were covering and the number of surveyors, to secure fixes at 10 minute intervals. In addition, the area is poor for mobile phone signals and walkie-talkie communication was often only possible over short ranges. However, this study focussed on activity in the vicinity of a proposed road scheme and, at least initially, the trapping effort had to be targeted on catching bats travelling on flight-lines, rather than trapping at roosts. Therefore, the desire for greater contact time had to be balanced with the risk that none of the tracked animals would enter the survey area again once tagged. This could happen if an animal caught on a flight-line was captured at the limit of their range, if the tagged animal’s favoured foraging areas lay elsewhere, or if the tag failed. However, data capture focussed on those individual tagged bats which were found to use at least part of the NDR’s proposed footprint, therefore focussing on the information of most relevance to determine the likely impacts of the proposed scheme.

If a bat was located by two surveyors able to take suitable joint bearings then the opportunity to take a series of joint bearings would be taken, including in consecutive minutes. The practicalities of obtaining as many triangulation points as possible under such circumstances means that some of the tracking data may include some auto-correlated fixes. As described in Radio-tracking and Animal Populations (Millspaugh and Marzluff, 2001), auto-correlation can result when the animal has (1) too little time to move away from the first observation, (2) when the animal simply does not move between observations or (3) the animal periodically returns to a previously used portion of its range (Hansteen et al. 1997). As continuous contact with the tagged bats was not attempted unless this was possible in proximity to the scheme, it follows that maximum determined distances travelled and the home range data should be considered conservatively.


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3 Results

3.1 Activity surveys

3.1.1 Static surveys – unmanned

More than 300,000 bat passes (as defined in section 2.2.8) were recorded by the 14 Anabat detectors placed out on the site through the season. Bat species recorded included: common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus, soprano pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Nathusius pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii, barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus, noctule Nyctalus noctula, serotine Eptesicus serotinus, Leisler’s Nytalus leisleri, Myotis sp. and long-eared bats Plecotus sp.

Total number of bat passes each survey hour (all species) by area, by month

The pattern of activity across the seven areas of the site across the whole survey season, looking at all bat species is shown in the following graph.

Graph 1

All bat passes by survey area, by month

0.0

20.0

40.0

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Area (Month)

Bat

pas

ses

per

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vey

hour

Month April

Month May

Month June

Month July

Month August

Month September

This graph considers all bat species and therefore shows patterns of bat activity as a whole across the site. It can be seen that more than 20 bat passes per survey hour were recorded by the Anabat detectors in most months, in most of the areas monitored through the season. This equates to more than one bat pass every three minutes in most areas. In reality bats are not active throughout the night in this way, but tend to be most active in the few hours after sunset and before sunrise (Altringham, 2003). Therefore at these times the number of bat passes is likely to be higher, whilst in the middle of the night they are likely to be lower. The same applies to all the following graphs, which look at patterns of activity (as bat passes per survey hour) of individual bat species groups (as defined in section 2.2.9).


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Total number of bat passes each survey hour by species group by area by month

The number of bat passes/hour by species group in each area across the season is presented in the series of graphs below. The table below each graph shows the percentage of early (before sunset or up to 1 hour after sunset) or late (up to one hour before sunrise) bat passes.

Graph 2

Barbastella barbastellus

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September

Table 4 Percentage of early or late Barbastella barbastellus passes in each area

Area April May June July August September

1 12% 1% 0% 6% 0% 12%

2 4% 26% 12% 13% 0% 20%

3 11% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1%

4 14% 0% 0% 2% 16% 7%

5 8% 13% 0% 0% 3% 8%

6 0% 2% 0% 0% 0% 7%

7 N/A N/A N/A 0% 0% 3%

This graph shows that areas 1, 2, 3 and 7 have the highest numbers of recorded barbastelle passes for a particular month. The table shows that Area 2 has the highest proportion of early or late passes (i.e. those recorded in the hour after sunset or the hour before sunrise). However a proportion of all barbastelle passes recorded in all areas are recorded in these time periods. Echolocation calls recorded early or late may indicate proximity to a roosting feature; however caution needs to be taken in interpreting data in this way, particularly for barbastelles which are strong, fast fliers (up to 30mph noted by Geoff Billington pers. comm.)


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Graph 3

Big Bat Species

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Bat

s p

er s

urve

y ho

ur April

May

June

July

August

September

Table 5 Percentage of early or late big bat passes in each area


1 63% 50% 89% 72% 36% 22%

2 0% 62% 89% 43% 63% 91%

3 0% 9% 6% 9% 55% 5%

4 18% 0% 0% 11% 11% 4%

5 7% 22% 93% 80% 11% 90%

6 5% 21% 29% 67% 26% 10%

7 N/A N/A N/A 67% 9% 8%

The graph shows that areas 1, 5 and 7 have the highest numbers of recorded big bat passes. The table shows that all of these areas have a high proportion of early or late passes by this species group in certain months of the survey season.


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Graph 4

Plecotus sp./Myotis sp.

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Bat

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hour

April

May

June

July

August

September

Table 6 Percentage of early or late Plecotus sp./Myotis sp. passes in each area


1 3% 4% 7% 9% 4% 18%

2 0% 0% 2% 0% 8% 2%

3 0% 4% 5% 1% 6% 7%

4 12% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

5 15% 11% 21% 10% 4% 1%

6 0% 0% 25% 0% 0% 2%

7 N/A N/A N/A 0% 0% 0%

As described previously, echolocation calls in this species’ group are less likely to be picked up through monitoring due to the quiet nature of the calls and the directional nature of the microphone on the Anabat. However, it can be seen that passes by this species’ group are recorded in all areas, with slightly higher numbers of bat passes recorded in areas 3 and 5. Those recorded in area 5 in particular contain a proportion of early and late passes which may indicate proximity to roosting locations.


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Graph 5

Pipistrelle spp.

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Bat

pas

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hour

April

May

June

July

August

September

Table 7 Percentage of early or late Pipistrelle spp. passes in each area


1 41% 67% 66% 34% 22% 35%

2 34% 14% 21% 6% 35% 16%

3 25% 11% 12% 7% 8% 8%

4 21% 0% 0% 25% 12% 40%

5 49% 52% 46% 24% 45% 27%

6 36% 23% 35% 32% 14% 45%

7 N/A N/A N/A 20% 12% 16%

It can be seen from this graph that the highest number of bat passes recorded are those of pipistrelle bats (more than 90% of the total bat passes recorded). A very few of these passes can be ascribed to Nathusius pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii. However, the number of passes attributable to this species is so few that there is no merit in separating these out from the other pipistrelles for separate analysis. The few passes recorded indicate individual Nathusius bats passing through the site, rather than a roost of this species within the locality. Conversely, the numbers of both soprano and common pipistrelle passes recorded are very large, with the proportions of early or late passes indicating that a number of roosts of these two species are likely to be in proximity to the NDR route.


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Graph 6

Indeterminate records

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Bat

pas

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hour

April

May

June

July

August

September

This graph simply shows the few indeterminate passes identified. That is, the recorded sound file could be identified as a high-frequency noise likely to be attributable to a bat, but the detail recorded in the sound file was insufficient to allow assignation of identification.

Total number of bat passes each survey hour by species by anabat by month

Total number of bats passes for each survey hour by species group by anabat (i.e. separating the bat passes recorded on the two anabats in each area) are presented graphically in full in Appendix 2.

Similar patterns of activity, in terms of numbers or patterns associated with bat passes/hour on both the paired static detectors in each area through the months of survey, is one indicator that the feature is likely to be used for commuting by that species group, as the paired detectors are placed along the same linear feature. The following table shows, for each area, which species group(s) shows similar patterns of bat activity.

Table 8 Similar patterns of bat activity on paired static detectors

Area Species group

1 Barbastelle, big bats, Plecotus/Myotis

2 Barbastelle, Plecotus/Myotis

3 Barbastelle*, big bats, Plecotus/Myotis

4 Plecotus/Myotis, pipistrelles

5 Barbastelle, Plecotus/Myotis, pipistrelles

6 Plecotus/Myotis

7 Barbastelle, big bats, Plecotus/Myotis, pipistrelles

*similar pattern seen in September only.


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3.1.2 Static surveys - manned

Total number of bat passes each survey (all species) by area, by month

The pattern of activity across the four areas of the site surveyed using static manned surveys across the whole survey season, looking at the total number of bat passes by all bat species, is shown in the following graph:

Graph 7

Manned statics - all species

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120

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200

1 3 4 6

Area (month)

Tota

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. bat

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ses

May

July

September

NB – area 4 – May survey not undertaken


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Total number of bat passes by species by month in each survey area

The number of bat passes recorded during each survey by species group in each area across the season is presented in the series of graphs below. The table below each graph shows the percentage of early calls (up to 1 hour after sunset).

Graph 8

Manned statics - Barbastella barbastellus

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25

1 3

Area (month)

Tota

l no

. bat

pas

ses

May

July

September

Table 9: Percentage of early barbastelle bat passes in each area

Area May July September

1 100% 0% 100%

3 0% 0% 0%

4 N/A 0% 0%

6 0% 0% 0%

Barbastelles were recorded in both area 1 and 3 during the static manned surveys. Early passes were recorded in Area 1 only.


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Graph 9

Manned statics - big bat species

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5

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1 3 6

Area (month)

Tota

l no

. bat

pas

ses

May

July

September

Table 10: Percentage of early big bat passes in each area


1 38% 65% 0%

3 0% 0% 0%

4 N/A 0% 0%

6 100% 0% 50%

The most big bat passes were recorded earlier in the season in Area 1. More than a third of these passes were recorded within the first hour of survey.


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Graph 9

Manned statics - Plecotus sp./Myotis sp.

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Area (month)

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pas

ses

May

July

September

Table 11: Percentage of early Myotis sp./Plecotus sp. passes in each area


1 24% 33% 60%

3 0% 0% 0%

4 N/A 0% 0%

6 0% 0% 0%

The majority of Myotis sp and Plecotus sp. passes were recorded in Area 1, with 20% or more or these passes being recorded within the first hour of survey.


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Graph 10

Manned Statics - Pipistrelle spp.

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Tota

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. bat

pas

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May

July

September

Table 12: Percentage of early Pipistrelle spp. passes in each area


1 46% 37% 86%

3 15% 25% 36%

4 N/A 11% 32%

6 71% 29% 29%

Pipistrelle spp. were recorded in all areas, with the highest number of passes being recorded in areas 1, 3 and 6. All these areas also recorded more than 25% of the passes within the first hour of survey.

3.1.3 Transect Surveys

The number of bat passes recorded during the transect survey provides an indication of the richness of the site for bats. A typical bat transect survey undertaken in similar habitat elsewhere in southern England might provide maybe one or one and a half pages (A4) of field notes; each line of field notes being written when a bat pass is noted. Each transect from most areas of the NDR site provided usually at least two pages of field notes (A4) easily.

The first series of maps in relation to the transect surveys provided in Figures D1-D7 shows all the bat species passes (except pipistrelles) recorded in each area through the whole season, for each species group (barbastelle, big bat, Plecotus/Myotis) to identify whether there are any patterns to the locations of where species groups were recorded on the transect. This does not reveal any obvious patterns, other than noting that most species groups are recorded on all the transects (with the exception of barbastelles not being recorded during transects in area 7).

The second series of transect maps provided in Figures E1-E7 shows all the bat species passes (except pipistrelle) recorded before sunset or in the hour after sunset in each area through the whole season, for each species group. These early bat passes could indicate proximity to a roost and therefore provide information in terms of identifying areas important for the species groups. Table 13 below indicates the location and species group of early bat passes recorded in each area.

Table 13: Identification of early bat passes during transects


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Area Species’ group Location of early calls.

1

Big bats (noctules) Along the River Wensum corridor and in Attlebridge hills (south and north of the proposed road route respectively)

Myotis/Plecotus (Myotis sp.) In the woodland just north of Crooked oaks (north of the proposed road route).

2 Barbastelle Along Marriott’s Way and in Drayton Drewray woodland (south and north of the proposed road route respectively)

Big bats (noctules) Along Marriott’s Way

Myotis/Plecotus (Myotis sp.) Drayton Drewray woodland

3 None N/A

4 Barbastelle Just south of Spixworth.

Big bats (noctules) Along Beeston Lane near to Red Hall

5 Barbastelle Near to Church Wood

Big bats (noctules) The Springs and Sprowston Wood

Myotis/Plecotus (Myotis sp.) The Springs

6 Barbastelle Tollshill Wood

Big bats (noctules and serotine) Newman’s strip, Tollshill Wood and recorded in a field in Rackheath Park

7 Big bat (noctule) Near to the Laurels on Low Road.

The third series of transect maps provided in Figures F1-F6 shows all the barbastelle passes recorded on each transect in each area. It can be seen that barbastelle passes were recorded in all areas 1-6 during the transects; Area 7 is not shown as no barbastelle passes were recorded during the transects in this area.


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3.2 Radio-tracking surveys

3.2.1 June session

A total of 302 bats of seven species were caught during the trapping sessions which started on 29th May and continued until 7th June 2009. Full details of all bats caught are provided within Appendix 3; a summary of the species caught is provided in Table 14 below. The species caught included barbastelle bats, Daubenton’s bats Myotis daubentonii, Natterer’s bat Myotis nattereri, brown long-eared bat, Nathusius pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle and common pipistrelle.

Table 14: Summary of all bats trapped June 2009

Species Male Female Total Percentage

NB B

Soprano pipistrelle 40 4 108 152 50

Common pipistrelle 31 3 40 74 25

Nathusius pipistrelle 1 0 0 1 0

Barbastelle 6 1 2 9 3

Daubenton’s bat 5 0 2 7 2

Natterer’s bat 9 1 6 16 5

Brown long-eared 14 2 27 43 14

302

NB – non breeding; B-breeding

In total 19 bats were tagged and tracked; these were numbered 1 to 19. The outline information collected relating to barbastelles is presented first below, followed by information relating to the other bat species tagged and tracked during the June session.

Barbastelle bats

Nine of the bats caught and tagged during the June session were barbastelles comprising three females and six males; all of these bats were radio-tagged. Of the three female barbastelle bats caught, two were thought to be pregnant, although not obviously so; the status of the third could not be determined. The information collected relating to the measurements of each individual barbastelle is given in Table 15 below.

Table 15: Summary information relating to tagged barbastelle bats – June session

Bat number

Sex Breeding condition

Forearm

(mm)

Weight

(g)

Comments

2 Male 38 8.43 Prominent ear buttons, caught without lure

3 Female Pregnant 40.6 10.5 V small ear buttons - caught in trap with lure

4 Male 38.4 8 Caught without lure

5 Male 39.1 7.59 Good ear buttons, caught in harp


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trap with lure

9 Male 39 8 Good ear buttons - caught in low harp trap without lure

12 Female 39.8 10.5 Caught without lure

14 Male 38.1 9.43 Pronounced ear buttons - caught without lure

15 Male 37.4 9 Small ear buttons trap – caught without lure

19 Female Pregnant? 48.7 9.5 Caught in trap without lure

Averages 39.9 9.0

Table 1 in Appendix 4 describes the tree and building roosts that the barbastelle bats were tracked to, and identifies which of the tracked bats was using them, whilst Table 2 in Appendix 4 identifies the trapping location at which each bat was caught and which roost each bat used during each day. Figures B1 to B6 in Appendix 1 illustrate the locations of the roosts described.

Plans for each bat tracked with triangulation points, extent of ranges and the MCP, neighbourhood linkage (clusters) and kernels are shown on Figures C1 to C31 in Appendix 1.

A description of the activity of each tagged barbastelle bat is given in detail in Appendix 5. A summary of key information gathered regarding roosting and foraging locations during both the June and August radio-tracking sessions, relating specifically to the route of the proposed NDR is given in section 3.2.3 below.

Other bat species

During the June session other species were tagged as well as barbastelle bats, focussing on gleaning species: three female brown long-eared bats, two female and one male Natterer’s bats, two female and one male Daubenton’s bats, and a single male Nathusius pipistrelle. The information collected relating to the measurements of each individual bat is given in Table 16 below.

Table 16: Summary information relating to tagged bats of species other than barbastelle

Bat number

Species Sex Breeding condition

Forearm Weight Location caught

(mm) (g)

1 BLE F Pregnant 38.7 8.74 Deighton Hills

6 Natterer's F Pregnant 37.1 9 The Springs

7 Daubenton's F Pregnant 36.8 9.8 The Springs

8 BLE F Pregnant 40.2 7.5 Rackheath

10 Nathusius M - 32.3 4.9 Hall Lane

11 Daubenton's M - 37.5 9.43 Hall Lane

13 Natterer's M - 38.9 7.1 Hall Lane

16 BLE F Lactating 39.3 7.43 The Springs north pond

17 Daubenton's F Pregnant 36.2 8.84 The Springs north pond

18 Natterer's F Pregnant 40.2 8.11 Spixworth

Table 3 in Appendix 4 describes the tree and building roosts that these bats were tracked to, and identifies which of the tracked bats was using them, whilst Table 4 in Appendix 4 shows the


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trapping location at which each bat was caught and which roost each bat used during each day. Figures B7 and B8 in Appendix 1 illustrate the locations of the roosts described.

Plans for each bat tracked with triangulation points, extent of ranges and the MCP, neighbourhood linkage (clusters) and kernels are shown on Figures C32-C41 in Appendix 1.

A description of the activity of each tagged bat is given in detail in Appendix 5. A summary of key information gathered regarding roosting and foraging locations during both the June and August radio-tracking sessions, relating specifically to the route of the proposed NDR is given in section 3.2.3 below.

3.2.2 August session

In total 218 bats of eight species were caught using mist nets and harp traps between 1st and 9th August. A further twelve barbastelles were caught from tree roosts on the 10th and 11th August; these tree roosts had been identified through the radio-tracking. The full details of all bats caught are provided within Appendix 3, with a summary provided in Table 17 below. The species caught included: barbastelle bats, Daubenton’s bats, Natterer’s bat, brown long-eared bat, Nathusius pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle common pipistrelle and noctule.

Table 17: Summary of all bat species trapped August 2009

Species M F Total Percentage

Ad Juv Ad NB Ad B Juv

Common pipistrelle 14 3 10 4 2 33 15.14

Soprano pipistrelle 27 10 27 17 9 90 41.28

Pipistrelle sp. 5 5 2.29

Nathusius pipistrelle 2 1 4 2 2 11 5.05

Brown long-eared bat 10 5 5 15 3 38 17.43

Natterer’s 8 2 3 2 15 6.9

Daubenton’s 4 5 4 13 6.0

Barbastelle 6 2 1 2 0 23 10.6

Noctule 1 1 2 0.9

55 47

Totals 77 21 102 18 218

Tree trapping

Barb 0 3 4 2 3 12

Ad – Adult; NB – non breeding; B-breeding; Juv - juvenile

In total 22 barbastelle bats were tagged and tracked; these were numbered 21 to 42. The bats included four breeding females, four non-breeding females, three juvenile females, seven adult males and four juvenile males. The information collected relating the measurements of each individual barbastelle is given in Table 18 below.

Table 18: Summary of information relating to tagged barbastelle bats – August session


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Bat number

Sex Breeding condition

Forearm

(mm)

Weight

(g)

Comments

21 M Juv 38.2 8 Ear discs present but small - right wing seems to have unfused epiphyses, left wing seemed fused. Caught without lure.

22 M Adult 37.8 8.51 Pronounced ear buttons – caught without lure

23 M Adult 37.3 8 Pronounced ear buttons – caught without lure

24 F Lactating 40 9.5 Small ear buttons – caught without lure

25 M Adult 37.5 8 Pronounced ear buttons – caught without lure

26 M Adult 36.2 8.65 Caught without lure

27 M Adult 37.7 8.7 Caught in harp trap with lure

28 F Lactating 36.2 8.28 Caught in harp trap with lure

29 M Adult - - Caught without lure

30 F non-breeding - - Caught in harp trap with lure

31 M Testes scrotal 38.6 8.57 Caught in harp trap with lure

32 F Juvenile 38.4 8.63

33 F non-breeding 39.5 9

34 F Juvenile 39.4 8.78

35 M Juvenile 37.9 8.5

36 F Juvenile 39.9 9.91

37 F non-breeding 38.7 8.15

38 M Juvenile 37.7 8

39 F non-breeding 38.4 9.12

40 F Lactating 41.1 9.68

41 M Juvenile 37.7 7.58

42 F Lactating 39.8 10.22

Averages 38.4 8.7

Table 5 in Appendix 4 describes the tree and building roosts that the barbastelle bats were tracked to, and identifies which of the tracked bats was using them, whilst Table 6 in Appendix 4 shows the trapping location at which each bat was caught and which roost each bat used during each day. Figures B1 to B6 in Appendix 1 illustrate the locations of the roosts described.

Once barbastelle tree roosts had been found during the August session, the barbastelles were caught from the trees. Emergence counts from the trees revealed large roost sizes; surveys of trees R38, R35 and R37 on the 12th August recorded between 55 and 59 bats emerging from tree R38 (in Hardingham Hills), three from R37 (Oak Plantation) and four from R35 (Morton Plantation). A further significant tree roost, R40 was found on 13th August in Scotchwood Hills with seven of the tagged bats in the tree (bats 33, 34, 37, 39, 40, 41 and 42). This tree along with R38 and R39 (Salle Park) were observed that evening during the emergence period. A total of 24 bats were recorded emerging from both R40 and R38; 10 were recorded emerging from R39.

Plans for each barbastelle bat tracked with triangulation points, extent of ranges and the MCP, neighbourhood linkage (clusters) and kernels are shown on Figures C1 to C31 in Appendix 1.

A description of the activity of each tagged barbastelle bat is given in detail in Appendix 6. A summary of key information gathered regarding roosting and foraging locations during both the


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June and August radio-tracking sessions, relating specifically to the route of the proposed NDR is given in section 3.2.3 below.

3.2.3 Highlights of the June and August radio-tracking survey results

Roosting areas and key foraging/commuting routes identified as a result of the radio-tracking are discussed below.

All of the female barbastelle bats caught during the June session roosted within the woodlands (Hall Plantation) immediately surrounding Felthorpe Hall (~2.5km north of area 2 of the NDR footprint), including bat 19 caught at Spixworth Hall some 8.2km away. Hall Plantation is a mixed woodland of mostly mature conifer plantation which had partly failed or been cleared; the standards did however include some large standard oaks Quercus sp. sweet chestnuts Castanea sativa, and beech Fagus sylvatica. The shrub layer, where present, included hazel Corylus avellana, cherry Prunus sp., rowan Sorbus aucuparia, rhododendron Rhododendron ponticum, sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus saplings and holly Ilex aquifolium. The nature of the canopy throughout the woodland was generally closed with a good understorey, although in the northern section there were more frequent larger trees and the understorey is sparse. On the north-eastern side of the Plantation there are several old sweet chestnuts in a cluster with a small number of large standard beech trees; these were considered most likely to be where roost R9 was located, given the potential roosting features available and the bearings taken in this area. Photographs of this area are given in Figure E1 in Appendix 1.

The August radio-tracking session resulted in the identification of the second area used by female barbastelle bats: Weston Park Golf Course (~2.5km west north west of the western end of the NDR footprint). The majority of the roosts were identified within Morton Plantation; this is a mature oak woodland with a closed canopy bordering the A1067 Fakenham Road and the exit road of Weston Park Golf Course. The woodland is dominated by oaks of a more or less uniform size, although sweet chestnut and ash Fraxinus excelsior are also frequent. The shrub layer is sparse with occasional bramble Rubus fruticosus, except along the edge of the golf course exit road which is lined with rhododendron. Scotchwood Hills is a mixture of mature oak with occasional stands of pine Pinus sp., a small amount of sweet chestnut and a generally closed canopy, with a dense, mixed shrub layer. Hardingham Hills woodland is a mixed beech and oak woodland planted up with younger pine; this woodland has quite an open understorey. It was reported by the owner of Scotchwood Hills and Hardingham Hills that both woodlands had suffered in the hurricane of 1987 and had lost many mature trees. Both had subsequently been largely replanted with pine but retain standing dead wood and trees scarred by the storm. Photographs of this area are given in Figure E1 in Appendix 1.

A single breeding female bat tracked during the August session went to a roost which was not located within the woodlands of Felthorpe Hall or Weston Park: bat 24, a lactating female caught on Marriott’s Way, was tracked after four days to Salle Park, some 7.8km north of its trapping location (~8km north of the proposed road route). This bat was roosting in a snapped off dead branch on the NE side at c.5m above ground level within a large specimen oak tree measuring over 3m dbh in open parkland with no surrounding woodland. An emergence count in the evening recorded at least 10 bats emerging. A photograph of this roosting tree is given in Figure E3 in Appendix 1.

A total of 29 tree roosts used by barbastelle bats were recorded over the two radio-tracking sessions, three of which were night roosts. Other tree roosts are likely to have been used by the tagged bats; it is not known how many different tree roosts were used in the woodlands immediately surrounding Felthorpe Hall as access into this area was very limited. Also, the barbastelle bat 5 that was tracked to R8 near Wroxham (2.5km north of area 5 of the NDR footprint) may have used more than one tree roost in the area. Additional roosts may have also been used by tagged bats which were not found after release or which were not found on particular tracking days. One of the male barbastelles was recorded roosting in a building (R2; ~2km north of area 2 of the NDR footprint), the only building roost recorded being used by barbastelles during the survey. All other confirmed barbastelle roosts were within trees. No barbastelle roosts were identified within the NDR footprint itself. The species of roost tree used by barbastelles were all oak


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or sweet chestnut except for a single beech tree, two ash trees and a double stemmed sycamore whose stems twisted around each other to form a cavity. Photographs of most of the roost trees are given in Figure E3 in Appendix 1.

Figure D1 in Appendix 1 shows the MCP’s for the breeding barbastelle females. A summary of the MCP sizes, kernel analysis and distances travelled for both breeding and non-breeding female barbastelles is provided in Table 19 below. Two of the bats (numbers 12 and 40) have limited tracking data as these bats were not tracked out to their full range as they constantly flew away from the proposed NDR. As a result their apparent MCP areas are small measuring 30ha and 63ha; however, these are not representative of the full home ranges of these bats as it is known that they flew outside the area. The areas of the remaining breeding females ranged from 393ha for bat 42 to 1,637ha for bat 19. The average MCP area for breeding females was 659 ha, however, if bats 12 and 40 are excluded, the average was 904ha, which is considered to provide a more accurate representation of home range size. The median size was 557ha, or 624ha if bats 12 and 40 are excluded. In comparison, the 95% kernel analysis recorded home range sizes ranging from 460ha to 2,118 ha (excluding bats 12 and 40) with a median of 764ha. The non-breeding female average home range based on the 95% MCP analysis was 337ha in comparison to the 904ha in the lactating females. When analysed using a 75% kernel analysis, the average size of the core areas of the non breeding female bats was 314.8ha in comparison to the breeding females which was 604.4ha (excluding bats 12 and 40) or 459.2 (including bats 12 and 40), although the median size was similar at 470ha and 484ha respectively.

Table 19: Female barbastelles: distances travelled and home range analysis

Bat no Furthest known distance km

From where to where

MCP Areas 95% -

ha

Cluster areas

Core Areas 95%

Core Areas 75%

Core Areas 50%

Breeding Females

3 3.59

Felthorpe to Walsingham Plantation 557.00 200.00 577.12 226.77 77.13

12 1.50

Felthorpe Hall Lane to furthest known JB 63.00 33.00 135.77 86.73 38.58

19 9.40 R26 to R3 1637.00 250.00 2118.84 1176.39 531.26

24 8.10

Swannington Bottom to R39 1309.00 119.00 1957.03 873.05 536.41

28 4.10

R31 - Wensum Valley Hotel Golf course 624.00 583.00 764.70 484.74 292.68

40 2.30

R35 south-west beyond Western Longville 30.00 8.60 173.40 105.47 46.42

42 4.00

R33 SE down Wensum Valley 393.00 393.00 460.36 261.11 147.50

4.71 Average 659.00 226.66 883.89 459.18 238.57

5.84

Average excluding bats 12 and 40 904.00 309.00 1175.61 604.41 317.00


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Median 557.00 200.00 577.12 261.11 147.50

Median excluding bats 12 adnd 40 624.00 250.00 764.70 484.70 292.70


From where to where

MCP Areas 95% -

ha

Cluster areas

Core Areas 95%

Core Areas 75%

Core Areas 50%

Non-breeding females

30 3.80 R37 to Deighton Hills 467.54 170.13 833.92 451.69 203.15

33 2.97

R31 to R Wensum in the SE 314.35 276.17 449.48 276.13 157.49

37 3.20

R31 to R Wensum in the SE 200.78 110.53 302.12 141.91 68.82

39 4.60 R31 to Snake Wood 366.60 215.49 682.26 389.41 243.46

3.64 Average 337.32 193.08 566.95 314.78 168.23

Median 340.45 192.80 526.86 470.84 259.06

Male barbastelle bats were more widely spread than the females, using trees in Deighton Hills (area 1), along the Wensum flood plain (2km south of the road route) and in a variety of woodlands, including Tollshill Wood near Rackheath (area 6) and to the north near Wroxham (~3km north of the Springs at area 5 of the NDR footprint). As the male bats were generally not tracked with the same level of intensity as the female bats, the outer range of their movement has not been recorded. As a result the 95% kernel analysis is considered to be the most accurate representation of core areas. The core kernel areas appeared to have very limited amounts of cross over (Figure D5 in Appendix 1) with other male bats although they did cross over with female bats. The average and median core kernel areas for the male bats were smaller than for both breeding female and non-breeding female bats. See table 20 below.


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Table 20: Male barbastelles: distances travelled and home range analysis


From where to where MCP Areas 95% -

ha

Cluster areas

Core Areas 95%

Core Areas 75%

Core Areas 50%

Adult Males

2 2.94 Roost 2 to nr Crooked Oaks 411.23 226.74 582.98 332.05 125.89

4 12.95 Deighton Hills R6 to Rackheath approx 498.73 498.73 1050.12 605.67 334.51

5 2.72 R8 to trapping location T4 in the Springs 140.22 27.83 86.26 53.78 29.86

9 3.70

Direct from R14 to NE of Reepham Road nr Horsford 300.77 52.18 449.87 236.47 97.70

5.00 From south-west extreme to NE extreme

14 4.30 R23 to due east of Breck Farm Bridge -

15 1.20 38.76 38.76 48.12 30.51 14.64

22 no roost not poss to calculate - 28.53 588.92 321.60 166.20

23 roost not located till end of tracking -

25 3.60 R43 Upgate Common to Oak Grove SW of Morton Hall - underestimate as bat ranged further SW and not followed

274.62 274.62 425.57 269.45 144.52

26 2.50 R46 to Wensum floodplain - incomplete tag failed

- 1.68 429.90 221.66 97.12

27 no roost not poss to calculate - -

29 4.40 R32 towards Fir Covert Road - incomplete data tag came off

- 5.30 125.92 55.38 27.66

31 tag failed - - - - -

4.33 Average minus bats 25 and 29 277.94 124.92 462.31 257.39 123.70

Median - - 449.00 321.00 126.00

A number of both the female and male barbastelle bats radio-tracked during both the June and August session included the NDR proposed route as part of their core range. See figures D1-D5 in Appendix 1. The detail of the radio-tracking data for each of the radio-tracked barbastelles is given in Figures C1-C31 in Appendix 1.

Regarding the other radio-tracked species, a maternity roost of Daubenton’s bats (R7 - approximately 500m south of the proposed road route) was found at Beeston Park (area 4/5) through catching bats at The Springs (area 5). The two female tagged Daubenton’s bats (bats 7


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and 17) both used the tree roost R7 and therefore had to cross the route of the proposed NDR scheme to get from the roost to the Springs which was used by the bats as foraging habitat. See figures C34 and C40 in Appendix 1. A photograph of R7 is given in Figure E4 in Appendix 1.

Two pregnant Natterer’s bats (bats 6 and 18) were radio-tracked. Bat 18 used a single tree roost (R27) in the Spixworth estate (~400m north of area 4 of the NDR footprint) and 15 bats were recorded using this tree during an emergence survey. Bat 18 was tracked using the areas of broad-leaved woodland near to the roost but also crossed over the Buxton Road to Spixworth Plantation (see Figure C41 in Appendix 1). The other pregnant Natterer’s bat (bat 6), which was caught at The Springs, used at least two trees (R10 ~500m north of area 5 of the NDR footprint and R25 ~1.3km north of area 5 of the NDR footprint). See Figure C33 in Appendix 1. In total six breeding female Natterer’s bats were caught; four were too heavily pregnant for radio-tracking. Two of these were at Deighton Hills; a maternity roost is therefore likely to be present near to Deighton Hills which has not been found to date. Photographs of R10, R25 and R27 are given in Figure E4 in Appendix 1.

The Rackheath area (area 6) supports at least one maternity roost of brown long-eared bats. Due to access restrictions the exact location of the tracked brown long-eared bat (bat 8) was not determined however it is thought to roost in the area shown by R12 and its core range from the tracking data collected is shown in Figure C35 of Appendix 1. This bat was also recorded in a night roost used by brown long-eared bats on the edge of Fir Covert and Pig’s Park (R50); this was found to support 14 breeding, female brown long-eared bats on one trapping night. The bats using this night roost may have come from more than one maternity roost, however, due to the restricted access it was not considered appropriate to tag more than one bat in this area. A further female brown long-eared bat (16) was caught at The Springs. This bat was found foraging and roosting within The Springs area in a tree roost (R29 ~200m north of area 5 of the NDR footprint) and it is unknown if this female may be associated with the females caught at the night roost R50. Its core range mapped from the radio-tracking data collected is shown in figure C39 in Appendix 1. A photograph of R29 is given in Figure E4 in Appendix 1.

A female brown long-eared bat caught in Deighton Hills (bat 1) was found to use a nearby building roost (R1 ~100m north of area 1 of the NDR footprint). It then moved to a tree roost (R11) which stands in a treeline at Crooked Oaks which is perpendicular to the Fakenham Road. This roost (R11) is set back ~10m from the Fakenham Road and lies directly on the line of the proposed route of the NDR. The bat was recorded foraging up and down the tree line at Crooked Oaks and along the southern margins of the woodland at Attlebridge Hills and Deighton Hills and this foraging area would therefore also appear to coincide with the route of the proposed NDR (see Figure C32 in Appendix 1). A photograph of R11 is given in Figure E4 in Appendix 1.

Trapping was very successful along Marriott’s Way suggesting this landscape feature is very important for all of the bat species species which were recorded here: 45kHz pipistrelle, 55kHz pipistrelle, brown long-eared, Natterer’s and barbastelle bats were caught along Marriott’s Way during the May/June trapping with all of these species plus Nathusius pipistrelle, Daubenton’s and noctule bats in the August period. This feature lies directly on the line of the proposed route of the NDR (area 2). Photographs of Marriott’s Way are given in Figure E1 in Appendix 1.


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4 Legislation and Policy Guidance All bat species in the UK are fully protected under both UK and EU legislation. This includes the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended 2007 and 2009), commonly referred to as the Habitats Regulations.

The inclusion of bats on Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) makes it illegal to:

• Intentionally kill, injure or take a wild bat

• To be in possession or control of any live or dead wild bat or any part of, or anything derived from a wild bat

• Intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy or obstruct access to any place that a wild bat uses for shelter or protection

• Intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bat while it is occupying a structure or place that it uses for shelter or protection.

Bats are included on Schedule 2 of the Habitat Regulations 1994 (as amended) making it an offence to:

(1)(a) deliberately capture, injure or kill any bat;

(1)(b) deliberately disturb bats.

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b), disturbance of bats includes in particular any disturbance which is likely:

(a) to impair their ability:

(i) to survive, to breed or reproduce, or to rear or nurture their young; or

(ii) in the case of hibernating or migratory species of bat, to hibernate or migrate; or

(b) to affect significantly the local distribution or abundance of the species to which they belong;

(c) to damage or destroy a breeding site or resting place of a bat.

A bat roost can be defined as any structure a bat uses for breeding, resting, shelter or protection. It is important to note that since bats tend to re-use the same roost sites, current legal opinion is that a bat roost is protected whether or not the bats are present at the time. A recent article has also argued that in addition to the bats themselves and their roosts, the law also provides protection to important commuting routes. Garland and Markham (2007) argue that commuting and foraging habitat is indirectly protected under the Habitats Regulation as severance and/or destruction of this habitat has the potential to affect normal bat behavioural patterns, and that has the potential the affect the ability of bats to survive and/or successfully breed, impacting on their local distribution and/or abundance, particularly where features affected are essential for the ecological functionality of a roost.

Although the law provides strict protection to bats, it also allows this protection to be set aside (derogation) under Section 39 of the Habitats Regulations through the issuing of licences. In England, applications for such a licence to permit development works affecting bats and their roosts are currently determined by Natural England. However, in accordance with the requirements of the Habitats Regulations, a licence can only be issued where the following requirements are satisfied:

• The proposal is necessary ‘to preserve public health or public safety or other imperative reasons of over-riding public interest including those of a social or economic nature and beneficial consequences of primary importance for the environment’;

• ‘There is no satisfactory alternative’;


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• The proposals ‘will not be detrimental to the maintenance of the population of the species concerned at a favourable conservation status in their natural range’.

A recent case in the High Court has determined that these tests should be taken into consideration by a planning authority when determining their decision in relation to proposed development that could affect bats (R. (on the application of Simon Woolley) v Cheshire East Borough Council, 2009). The importance of consideration of these tests was also demonstrated in a recent case relating to a proposed wind turbine scheme (Enertrag vs South Norfolk District Council December 2009)

Certain species of bat are listed as priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP). Under section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (NERC), these species are also considered to be Species of Principal Importance (SPI) for the conservation of biodiversity in England. Under NERC, the Secretary of State must take such steps as appear to be reasonably practicable to further the conservation of such species or promote the taking of such steps by others. In practice, the Local Planning Authority can use the SPI lists as a guide when implementing its duty under section 40 of NERC (to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity when carrying out its normal functions). The bat species listed as SPI’s that are of relevance to this study are: barbastelle bat, noctule bat, soprano pipistrelle and brown long-eared bat.

The Government’s Planning Policy Statement 9 (PPS9) on Biodiversity and Geological Conservation, states that SPI’s should be protected from the adverse effects of development through the planning system. Such species are therefore deemed a material consideration within the planning process, and PPS9 advises that if significant harm cannot be prevented, adequately mitigated against, or compensated for, then planning permission should be refused. It also adds that conservation requirements should be promoted through the incorporation of beneficial biodiversity designs within development proposals.


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5 Evaluation This section of the report aims to evaluate the bat resource identified within and around the footprint of the proposed NDR, setting the ecological context for the identification of the significance of potential impacts within the EIA. Overall, the number of bats caught during radio-tracking and recorded during activity surveys of all species was high and other sites with similar levels of survey effort have provided fewer results; the area as a whole therefore appears to be important for bats. The evaluation provided below is presented by species group, as defined in section 2.2.9 and draws together the results from both the activity survey and the radio-tracking surveys; barbastelle bats remain the focus for discussion. The evaluation places a value on the identified ecological resource in geographic terms, as described in the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management’s guidelines relating to ecological impact assessment (IEEM, 2006).

5.1 Barbastelle

5.1.1 Identified roosts and habitat description

The barbastelle is rare in Britain, and only sparsely distributed through its range in Europe (Altringham, 2003). It’s characteristic short and directional echolocation call (Denzinger et al., 2001), and fast and far-travelling flight (Dietz et al., 2009) are likely to make them very difficult to detect using bat detectors, particularly during transect surveys. However, despite the fact that they are likely to be an under-recorded species there is no doubt it is a rare species under threat throughout Europe (Dietz et al., 2009).

The transect surveys resulted in the recording of one or two barbastelle passes each month in each area, again demonstrating the difficulties of surveying for this species using bat detectors. The static detectors picked up far more passes (in terms of barbastelle passes per survey hour), and some of the passes indicated that there was likely to be a roost nearby, due to their proximity to sunrise/sunset time. Monitoring in areas 1, 2 and 4 in particular recorded more than 10% of the passes in the hour after sunset or before sunrise in at least two of the six months of monitoring. The proximity of roosting locations for barbastelle bats in these areas was confirmed by the radio-tracking sessions.

Two main areas used by breeding female barbastelles were identified: the Felthorpe Hall woodland complex (~2.5km north of area 2 of the NDR footprint) (R3, R5, R9 and R26 used by females) and the Weston Park golf course woodland complex (~2.5km west north west of the western end of the NDR footprint), the latter also incorporating Scotchwood Hills and Hardingham Hills (R31, R35, R37, R38, R40 used by breeding females). Both the identified roosting areas were within woodlands containing trees with a variety of features which could have been used by these bats. The roost sizes in Weston Park golf course woodland complex were large for the species. Typically tree roosts are thought to support between 10 and 20 females (Dietz et al., 2009) and the peak count of between 55 and 59 barbastelles emerging from tree roost R38 is therefore a high number for the species, even taking account of the fact that the numbers of bats would have been swelled by young of the year at the time the count was undertaken, in August 2009. Male barbastelle bats were more widely spread than the females, using a variety of roosts, mainly in trees, with one male barbastelle recorded using a building roost (R2). Roost locations are shown in figures B1-B6.

5.1.2 Description of roosting features

The majority of roosts with breeding females were at least 5m above ground level, the majority being around 8-10m above ground level. These tree roosts were all in open high canopy woodland which is similar to that found in The Mens SAC (Greenaway, 2008). The roost tree R38 which supported up to 59 bats roosting under raised bark is a dead oak pole which retains three upreaching limbs in the crown. The bats mostly emerged from a low position, about 150cm above ground level. It was noted that the canopy of the adjacent standards had almost closed over the top of this roost tree. Immediately adjacent to it was a small hazel but there was limited other shrub layer in the vicinity. This habitat structure differs to that recorded in The Mens SAC where all low-level roosts were within dense cover (Greenaway, 2008).


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Of the nine tree roosts found to support breeding female barbastelle bats, seven were identified as roosting behind raised bark. The other two consisted of vertical splits in main trunks. A tree used for a single day by bat number 19, the female caught at Spixworth (area 4), has not been included within this tally as it was used by the bat the day after it was caught and tagged only. This roost was in a split in a limb. The apparent preference shown towards roosting behind raised bark, is similar to that found in other radio-tracking research of this species in Italy (Russo et al. 2004), Germany (Kerth & Melber 2009), and England (Billington 2002; Greenaway 2008; Greenaway & Hill 2004) where barbastelle nursery roosts tended to be within splits in trees or under loose bark.

Research has found that breeding roosts tend to be found in quiet locations well away from the woodland edges and surrounded by dense cover (Russo et al 2004; Greenaway 2008) but this was not found to be the case in this study. Frequently the roosts were within 30m of the edge of the woodland; three trees used by breeding female bats in Morton Plantation were within 70m of the A1067 Fakenham Road, with roost R31 being within 30m of the road. Table 21 below shows the distance of identified roost trees from the nearest woodland edge.

Table 21: Distance of key barbastelle roost trees from the nearest woodland edge

Tree roost no.

Distance from nearest edge (m)

40 27

38 24

37 21

31 26

33 30

34 81

35 28

5.1.3 Barbastelle colonies

Barbastelle bats are known to move roosts regularly even during the period when their young cannot fly (Russo et al 2004). The mean distance moved between trees by female bats in central Italy ranged between 31m and 626m, with distances contracting during the main lactating period (Russo et al 2004). This suggests that female barbastelle bats, in order to continue to move roosts regularly, need a large number of suitable roost trees relatively close to each other during the whole breeding season, but particularly during the main lactating period. Russo et al’s (2004) research further supports this as they found that barbastelle roosts were most frequently found within unmanaged woodland where the dead trees occurred most frequently, in comparison with managed woodland and pasture woodland and where clusters of larger trees occurred. Whilst the woodland areas at Felthorpe Hall and Weston Park consist of relatively small woodland fragments these areas are the only woodlands in the area with a variety of suitable roosting opportunities for barbastelles; it is perhaps therefore unsurprising that these are the two areas that have been identified as being used by breeding females. The density of trees with suitable features for breeding barbastelles is likely to be a major factor in the presence of key roost sites in Hall Plantation within Felthorpe Hall and the Weston Park woodland complex. This allows the females to switch between trees regularly without the expense of moving dependant young frequently over larger distances. Other larger areas of woodland in the area (e.g Drayton Drewray) while larger in extent, do not support the variety of roosting features identified within Felthorpe Hall and Weston Park woodland complexes.

It can be seen by looking at the MCP and kernel analysis for the barbastelles (Figures D1-D5 in Appendix 1) that there is some overlap between core areas of bats radio-tracked in both the June and August radio-tracking sessions. This may indicate that the bats tracked to Felthorpe in June and Weston in August are part of the same colony. If this is the case it would follow that the Felthorpe woodlands may be one of a series of important pre-maternity areas and that the colony


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moves to the Weston Park area during the maternity period. The distance between Morton Plantation and Felthorpe Hall woodlands is relatively small at 5km.

This hypothesis is supported by research which has identified that breeding female bats need to remain homeothermic (they maintain a high body temperature by increasing their metabolism rather than allowing the body temperature to fluctuate with ambient temperatures) to allow foetal development and later for lactation and it has been suggested that barbastelle bats select warmer areas for roosting in order to limit the costs of homeothermy (Russo et al.2004). This could relate to the positions of roosts within a tree; the majority of roosts with breeding females identified in the current study were on the southern side of tree roosts, which will be warmer than any other roosting feature within the tree due to solar heating. It could also relate to the locations of roosting areas within a landscape. It is therefore possible that the colony use the Felthorpe area as pre-maternity roosting site as this area is warmer in cooler, wetter periods earlier in the season; they then move to the Wensum valley later in the season when this area has become warmer. The latter area may also be favoured later in the season due to the availability of foraging resources in the Wensum valley, and/or due to the proximity of available roosting resources whilst the females are lactating.

5.1.4 Home ranges, foraging areas, and flight paths

The average MCP area for breeding females recorded in this study was 904ha (median = 624ha), excluding two bats (bats 12 and 40) whose full MCP area was not recorded. Radio-tracking studies of adult female barbastelles in The Mens and at Ebernoe Common in Sussex recorded MCP’s averaged at 1,235.72ha and 779.5ha respectively (Greenaway, 2008). The average MCP for breeding females for this study therefore seems to fall between these two previously studied UK sites.

The 95% kernel analysis for these female bats recorded home range sizes (excluding bats 12 and 40) with a median of 764ha. Radio-tracking of 12 female barbastelle bats in Germany (Hillne et al 2009) found the home range sizes had a median of 403ha, this being based on a 95% Kernel analysis. This German radio-tracking study was undertaken in an area supporting patches of well structured deciduous forest with numerous dead oak and pine trees interspersed with clearings and meadows, although its size is not given. Such a site is likely to be able to support a range of roosting and foraging resources in a smaller area than that in and around the NDR site, hence the differences seen in the size of home ranges. Hillne et al. 2009 found that all the home ranges of radio-tracked females overlapped with at least one other home range but that only 41% of the core areas overlapped with another female’s core area. Although the sample size for the study was small Hillne et al 2009 determined that female barbastelles partition the foraging area of the entire colony and keep individual hunting areas constant over time. The NDR radio-tracking kernel analysis shows some degree of overlap between a number of the breeding females - shown on Figure D2 in Appendix 1, demonstrating that in the current study area the female barbastelles may not partition their foraging areas in the same was as those in Hillne el al.’s (2009) study. Whilst not all of these bats use areas affected by the proposed road route, only a proportion of the population was radio-tracked and it may be that a number of other individuals use core areas in or near the road route in addition to those tracked within the study.

Barbastelle bats radio-tracked from Ebernoe Common SAC ranged as far as 10.46km from the roost site, although the majority of animals foraged much closer than this with the average distance travelled was found to be 5.1km (Greenaway, 2008). Barbastelles radio-tracked from The Mens Woodland SAC ranged as far as 11.98km but with an average of 7.1km (Greenaway 2008). Another barbastelle maternity roost site in Norfolk, near Cromer, is Paston Barn SAC (~25km to the north east of the proposed NDR route); radio-tracked female barbastelle bats from this roost flew 2.75km to their foraging site, while males were tracked 4.75km (Parsons et al 2001). During the 2009 surveys undertaken for this study, the maximum determined distance travelled was 12.95km by bat number 4, an adult male that was caught on Marriott’s Way which roosted in Deighton Hills and was recorded in Rackheath. The furthest a breeding female bat was found from its roost was 9.4km: bat number 19 caught in Spixworth roosted at Felthorpe but flew back to Spixworth and the fields and woodland north of Beeston Lane to forage. The average maximum determined distance travelled by adult female bats was 5.8km.


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It was noted at Ebernoe Common that initial foraging after emergence from the roost was within the woodland or woodland edge habitats close to the roost until it was dark then, at approximately 45 minutes after emerging, the bats would leave the woodland and travel further afield to foraging habitats (Greenaway 2008). It was not possible to determine if a similar pattern of activity was seen in the bats radio-tracked during the NDR study. However, patterns of activity noted included that in June the barbastelle bats appeared to return to roosts earlier during colder temperatures and stayed within the woodland blocks; during warmer temperatures they foraged in the more open habitats and along the open stretches of Marriott’s Way. During the August session, bats caught were recorded foraging over the Wensum valley and the wooded slopes surrounding Morton Hall, although on occasions bats from the Weston Park cluster were found to head north beyond the Fakenham Road to forage around Attlebridge Hills and Deighton Hills.

A number of pieces of research have referred to barbastelle bats flying high above the tree canopy foraging; this behaviour was mainly observed in areas of extensive woodland habitat (Denzinger et al., 2001). At NDR where the woodland habitat is fragmented they were often recorded flying low over open habitats, both by close-tracking during the radio-tracking studies and as a result of observations during activity surveys. Barbastelles were also recorded flying low along Marriott’s Way and were often caught in harp traps which were set relatively low. A number of barbastelle bats were recorded foraging over arable fields (along the edge and in the open) including breeding females 19, 28 and 42, adult male bats 9 and 5, juvenile female 32, and juvenile male bats 38 and 35.

The barbastelles tracked were recorded flying over several of the existing A roads within the study area. Bats from the Weston Park woodland complex were recorded flying over the Fakenham Road at a number of locations: from Morton Plantation north to Morton Warren and Slade Plantation, under or over the Wensum bridge at Morton/Attlebridge, immediately east of Attlebridge in the Wensum valley where a block of woodland fronts the Fakenham Road, and further east in the vicinity of Crooked Oaks where the proposed NDR scheme would start in the west. Bat 9 roosted near Ringland Lane but was recorded foraging north of Thorpe Marriot. At some point it must have crossed the A1067, although the exact location was not found four possible locations are shown in the Drayton Area (see Figure C5 in Appendix 1). This bat and others also crossed Reepham Road. Bat 19 crossed several roads to get to Spixworth from Felthorpe including Holt Road, the A140 and it was also recorded on one occasion over North Walsham Road in Beeston Park. Bats 5 and 15 were both recorded crossing the A1151 (Wroxham road). It was observed that although the study area is served by a variety of roads, the landscape is mostly dark and the roads, including the A roads mentioned above, are mostly unlit, with road speeds limited by their narrow single-carriageway nature. It is considered that the lack of existing road lighting reduces the potential fragmentation of habitat caused by the existing roads.

The activity surveys identified potential flight paths across the proposed road route in static monitoring locations in areas 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7. Figures A1 and A2 show the locations of the static monitoring in each of these areas; the radio-tracking confirmed barbastelle movement through areas 1, 2, 3 and 5: barbastelles were recorded moving between Attlebridge and the Wensum in area 1; barbastelles were caught on Marriott’s Way and were found foraging along Marriott’s Way and over fields either side of it in Area 2. Further east several bats were recorded flying north up School Lane and north towards Drayton Drewery between areas 2 and 3. At least two bats were found to fly through the Spixworth area (area 4). Bat 19, a breeding female, was recorded foraging for sustained periods at Spixworth whilst roosting at Felthorpe. Bat 22, a male barbastelle, was recorded commuting from the south through Spixworth over the proposed NDR scheme route to forage in the Wilderness. No movement of barbastelle across the road route was recorded in Area 5, but one male bat (bat 5) was recorded roosting and foraging near this area. No bat movement was recorded during the radio-tracking studies east of area 6 into area 7. However, a very large number of barbastelle passes were recorded in Area 7 in September by the static Anabat detectors; the highest recorded number of passes at any monitoring point. Given the lack of information relating to barbastelle movements recorded during the radio-tracking sessions in this area, and given that at present we have no data relating to barbastelle passes early in the season, it is possible that there is another colony of barbastelle bats somewhere within or east of area 7 of the NDR route. Alternatively, this may be indicative of late summer/early autumn movement of


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barbastelles; in September/October the maternity roosts start to breakup and females and males meet to mate, then move onto hibernation sites.

5.1.5 Value of barbastelle resource

All of the known maternity areas within the UK are designated as being of National and International importance for this species. The UK population of this species is thought to be 5000 individuals (JNCC 2007); given that two maternity areas have been identified as a result of the radio-tracking, and given the numbers of bats counted from at least one of the roosts in the Weston Park area, it is considered that these maternity areas are likely to be of at least National importance. The footprint of the NDR itself does not support roosting barbastelles; however it does fall on areas used by foraging barbastelles and on areas used for commuting. It is difficult to quantify the value of such features since only a small proportion of the population was radio-tracked. However, given the frequency with which barbastelles were recorded during activity surveys it is considered that the NDR footprint is used frequently by individuals, at least to pass through the landscape between woodland blocks; radio-tracked individuals whose core ranges included areas of the proposed road route included adult male barbastelles, non-breeding females and three of the seven radio-tracked breeding females (see figures D1-D3). Given that breeding females are crossing the proposed road route and that it appears that these females are not partitioning the habitats between them, it is considered that the road route is of importance in at least the regional context, if not National; the latter is likely to be the case if it is proved that the two maternity areas are used by the same population, as the NDR route occurs between these two areas.

5.2 Big bats

5.2.1 Patterns of activity

The information relating to this species group is put together only from the activity survey data as no bats of this species group were tracked during the radio-tracking study. However, the recorded data from the static detectors and field observations during the static manned and transect surveys suggest the following:

1. Noctule bat passes were the most frequent of the big bat species recorded during both transect and static surveys (75% of all big bat passes identified to species level were identified as this species). No known roosts of noctule bat are present within the footprint of the NDR, but this species of bat was regularly recorded in Area 1 – the roost in this area is thought to be north of the proposed road route somewhere in Attlebridge. Noctule bats were recorded and observed flying from this direction over the line of the existing Fakenham road and foraging in the Wensum Valley south of Attlebridge Hall during the static manned and transect surveys; at least five individual bats were observed. They were also recorded flying east from this location and were regularly recorded commuting along Marriott’s Way. Indeed one noctule bat was trapped during the trapping sessions along Marriott’s Way during the June session. The time of calls recorded in area 5 also indicates that a noctule roost may be present in this area, with a high proportion of noctule calls recorded in the hour before sunrise or after sunset. These observations fit with the known distribution of this species (BCT, 2005).

2. Leisler’s bat Nyctalus leisleri passes were recorded infrequently on the static bat detectors across all areas of the site (8% of all big bat passes identified to species level were identified as this species which equates to less than 0.5% of all identified bat passes). No species of this bat were captured during the trapping sessions for the radio-tracking. The infrequency of recordings of bat species indicates that there is unlikely to be a maternity roosting site near to the NDR route. These observations fit with the known distribution of this species (BCT, 2005).

3. Serotine bats Eptesicus serotinus were recorded infrequently during both transect and static surveys (17% of all big bat passes identified to species level were identified as this species). However there were also a number of possible serotine calls recorded which are


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not included in this number as the calls recorded on the anabat could not be distinguished between this and other species with echolocation calls in the same range. The infrequency of recordings of this bat species indicates that there is unlikely to be a maternity roosting site near to the NDR route. This pattern fits with the known distribution of this species (BCT, 2005).

5.2.2 Value of big bat resource

Given the infrequent recording of both Leisler’s and serotine bats it is considered that the NDR site is of importance to these two species at the site level. Given the presence of one or maybe two roosting sites for noctule bats in proximity to the NDR route and the recorded use of features within the footprint of the scheme for commuting, and taking into account the distribution of the species and its status as an SPI, it is considered that the NDR site is of importance to this species in at least the district context.

5.3 Myotis/Plecotus

5.3.1 Identified roosts and habitat use

Passes identified to this species’ group during the activity surveys were recorded in all areas, with slightly higher numbers of bat passes of this species group recorded by static Anabats in areas 3 and 5, compared to other areas. Those recorded in area 5 in particular contain a proportion of early and late passes which may indicate proximity to roosting locations. This was confirmed through the radio-tracking. Similar patterns of bat passes on paired anabats along a linear feature for this species group was seen in all areas, albeit in relatively low numbers compared to other species groups, indicating that the features may be used by commuting Myotis sp.

A Daubenton’s maternity roost was identified at R7 (~500m south of the proposed road route in area 4/5); two tagged female bats were using this roost. Both females were recorded moving across the proposed NDR route to forage in the Springs area (area 5). See figures C34 and C40 in Appendix 1.

Two pregnant natterer’s bats were radio-tracked. One of these was caught at the springs and was found to move north between two different roosting locations (R10 and R25), both more than 500m from the proposed road route. Although this bat was not recorded crossing over the route of the proposed NDR scheme during the tracking, suitable foraging habitats lie beyond the line of the proposed NDR scheme but within the typical range for a maternity colony of Natterer’s bats. Foraging areas may be up to 3 kilometres from the roost site, but in late summer and autumn Natterer’s bats in one study were found to be rarely more than 600 metres away from the roost (Boye and Dietz, 2005). The other pregnant Natterer’s was found to be using a maternity roosting site in Spixworth Park (area 4) and crossed over the Buxton road to forage in and around the Spixworth plantation directly on the line of the proposed road route. A further maternity area for this species is thought to be present near Deighton Hills (area 1) due to captures of heavily pregnant females of this species in this area during the trapping for the radio-tracking. No other Myotis sp. were captured during the trapping undertaken for the radio-tracking session, suggesting that if present they are in very low numbers, which would match with published roost distribution data (BCT, 2005).

The Rackheath area supports at least one maternity roost of brown long-eared bats (R12). The recorded movement of the bat tracked to this roost shows most of its activity remains within the park, rather than crossing the proposed road route (see Figure C35 in Appendix 1). A further female bat 16 was found foraging and roosting within The Springs area (R29 – see Figure C39 in Appendix 1) mostly outside the route of the proposed road. Another female long-eared bat caught in Deighton Hills (bat 1) was found to use a nearby building roost (R1). It then moved to a tree roost (R11) which stands in a treeline at Crooked Oaks which lies directly on the proposed route of the NDR. The bat was also recorded foraging in and around Deighton Hills and Attlebridge Hills and up and down the tree line at Crooked Oaks; its foraging area would therefore also appear to coincide with the route of the proposed NDR.


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Natterer’s, Daubenton’s and brown long-eared bats were also captured during trapping as part of the radio-tracking work along Marriot’s way; this, combined with the calls recorded as a result of activity surveys along Marriott’s Way, confirms the use of this feature by this species group.

5.3.2 Value of Myotis/Plecotus resource

Whiskered/Brandt’s bats, if present are likely to be present only in low numbers, if at all, given the findings of this survey work therefore it is considered that the value of this ecological resource within the site is at the level of the site at the most. Daubenton’s roosts were located in proximity to the proposed route and it was found that the proposed route lies between the maternity roost and foraging area used by this species. Taking this into account, along with the distribution of this species in the UK (BCT, 2005) it is considered that the footprint of the NDR is of importance for this species in at least the district context. The Natterer’s roosts were located outside the footprint of the site. However, at least one female bat was found using the line of the proposed NDR for foraging and commuting. Given the scarcity of this species (BCT, 2005) and the potential that additional bats from the maternity site also forage over the proposed road route, it is considered that the NDR route is likely to be of at least district value for Natterer’s bats.

5.4 Pipistrelles

5.4.1 Patterns of activity

The information relating to this species group is taken mainly from the activity survey data as only a single male nathusius bat (bat 10) was radio-tracked during the June radio-tracking session. This bat was recorded roosting in Mill Hill Plantation near Felthorpe Hall ~2.5km north of the proposed NDR route. A high number of 55kHz pipistrelle maternity roosts were reported by local residents to the radio-tracking team in proximity to the road scheme, with large counts.

Pipistrelle passes are by far the most numerous bat passes recorded during transect and static surveys – these passes make up more than 90% of all identified bat passes. Of these, less than 0.5% relate to nathusius pipistrelle calls. The majority of the latter species are recorded on the static detectors in area 5. The recorded data from the static detectors and field observations during the static manned and transect surveys suggest high activity of pipistrelles in all monitoring locations. Those areas with a consistently high percentage of calls within the hour before sunrise or after sunset included areas 1, 2, 5 and 6 which could indicate proximity of a roosting location. Particularly large numbers of pipistrelle passes were recorded in area 7.

All three species of pipistrelle were captured during trapping as part of the radio-tracking work along Marriot’s way; this, combined with the calls recorded as a result of activity surveys along Marriott’s Way, confirms the use of this feature by this species group.

5.4.2 Value of pipistrelle resource.

Given the extent of pipistrelle activity recorded, the number of pipistrelle passes throughout the route of the scheme, the reported (but not confirmed) proximity to roosts and the SPI status of soprano pipistrelle it is considered that the footprint of the NDR is of district importance for pipistrelle bats as a species group.


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6 Potential Impacts and Recommendations The key potential impacts for any road scheme in relation to bats that need to be considered include the following:

• Loss or disturbance of roosts;

• severance of flight paths and collision risk; and

• loss or disturbance of feeding areas;

The mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures that are proposed mainly relate to the maintenance of landscape permeability and functionality in relation to the barbastelle bats in particular, but also taking into account the other bat species identified as a result of the survey work undertaken. The key mitigation measures recommended include:

• Provision of safe passage for bats across the proposed road route including green bridges, modified accommodation bridges and other crossing points

• Provision of dark-flyways and light areas to encourage bats to use the safe crossing points

• Careful consideration of the lighting scheme design for the scheme to minimise light spillage onto adjacent areas.

• Landscape-scale connectivity

• Habitat enhancements away from the scheme footprint to compensate for loss, and possible degradation of, habitat.

The potential impacts and suggested mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures are discussed below by area, working from west to east along the scheme. The measures are set out in the context of the bat species’ activity identified within each area. The recommendations are illustrated in Figures G1-G5. Information is drawn together from both the activity and radio-tracking studies to inform these recommendations. It should be noted that consideration needs to be given to the results of roost emergence surveys which have been (2009 season) and will continue to be (2010 season) undertaken along the line of the route by Mott MacDonald. This is likely to result in the identification of additional bat roosting sites which may affect the potential impacts and recommendations given within this report.

6.1 Area 1

6.1.1 Loss or disturbance of roosts

None of the barbastelle roosts identified in this area as a result of the radio-tracking study will be directly affected by the proposed road route. The roosts that are in closest proximity (within 500m) to the proposed scheme route in area 1 are R19, R42 and R46 (see Figure B4 in Appendix 1); R19 is used by a breeding female (bat 19)). Whilst barbastelles are thought to be particularly sensitive to disturbance (e.g. Russo et al., 2004) the barbastelles recorded in the vicinity of the proposed NDR route already use roosts in close proximity to existing A roads, albeit unlit ones (see section 5.1 above).

Other bat roosts within 500m of the proposed road route in this area are two brown long-eared roosts (R11 and R1) used by the same breeding female bat. R11 will be lost to the scheme. In addition, a Natterer’s bat maternity roost is thought to be present in Deighton Hills and a noctule roost is thought to be present somewhere in the woodland north of Attlebridge Hills. Neither of these roost locations has been identified.

Potential impacts on roosts in proximity to the proposed scheme include light spillage; either from lamp-light (during construction or operation) and/or from the headlamps of cars. Noise from passing cars can also be an issue, both factors causing disturbance and potential abandonment of roosts.


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6.1.2 Severance of flight paths and loss or disturbance of feeding areas The area affected by the proposed route is used for foraging and/or commuting by barbastelles from both the Felthorpe Hall and Morton Plantation roost clusters. This could be particularly significant if, as is suspected, the roosting areas identified are actually used by bats from the same colony. A lack of resource-partitioning was seen between the radio-tracked individual barbastelles; this means that the road route could potentially have a greater impact on the population due to severance and/or loss of foraging areas, compared to an area where the barbastelles do partition resources.

Noctules are also recorded regularly commuting and foraging over area 1 and brown long-eared bats were recorded foraging and commuting along crooked oaks and the woodland edges in this area. The noctules were observed at height, above the height of vehicles providing the road remains at or below existing ground levels. Brown long-eared flight patterns observed in the area could bring this species into conflict with vehicles along the road route. A study looking at barbstelle and bechstein response to an (unlit – pers comm.) motorway found that the latter bat showed reduced foraging ranges in proximity to a motorway (Kerth and Melber, 2009). The authors concluded that motorways, or other larger roads, are likely therefore to have stronger barrier effects on bats that forage close to surfaces (gleaning bats), such as the brown long-eared bat. It may also result in contraction of range; this may be due to noise and/or light spillage (from headlights) along the edge of the woodland immediately adjacent to the road. A study by Schaub et al., (2008) suggest that foraging areas very close to highways and presumably also to other sources of intense, broadband noise are degraded in their suitability as foraging areas for such gleaning species.

The Kerth and Melber (2009) study described above suggests that a significant A-road such as the NDR may not be a barrier for bats that hunt in more open spaces, such as the barbastelle or noctule. This, however, does not mean such species are not at risk from motorways. Given the typical flight heights seen to be used by barbastelles in the area 1 (sometimes as low or lower than 2m height), the crossing of a busy dual carriageway at these heights has the potential to result in collisions with motor-vehicles, resulting in the injury or death of individual bats. Bats that show little road avoidance and that fly regularly over a road with heavy traffic, are considered likely to have a high mortality risk as a result of collision with vehicles (Jaeger et al., 2005; Lesinski, 2007 in Kerth and Melber, 2009). As a consequence of the low reproductive rates of bats, even slightly lower reproductive success due to a barrier effect or a slightly increased mortality due to collisions with traffic could affect the viability of local bat populations (Kerth and Melber, 2009). Pipstrelle flight patterns and brown long-eared flight patterns observed in the area could also bring these bat species into conflict with vehicles along the road route. The flight height of pipistrelle bats is likely to result in collision with vehicles should they cross the road in open habitat.

Barbastelles are thought to avoid areas with high light levels as a predator-avoidance strategy (Russo et al., 2007) therefore physical severance of a roosting feature could be made potentially worse by extensive lighting along the NDR route in area 1 – completely preventing or dissuading the bats from attempting to cross the gap. Certain types of lighting can also have an impact on bats as a result in attracting prey species of bats away from foraging habitat, reducing the available prey resource in unlit areas (Bat Conservation Trust, undated).

6.1.3 Mitigation, compensation and enhancement

A number of measures are proposed in Area 1, in order to maintain flight routes and landscape permeability for bats, to minimise the potential for collision risk and to mitigate for impacts on roosts. These recommendations are given by chainage of the proposed road route:

Ch. -400 (near to Attlebridge Hall): where the existing road remains single carriageway, additional native tree planting is proposed along the linear feature linking Attlebridge Hills to the River Wensum Valley in order to provide a “hop-over” for bats attempting to cross the road route in this location. The planting of trees will encourage the bats to fly at height, rather than at traffic level.

Ch. 750 (shooting school access road): An underpass is being provided to maintain access to the shooting school and existing houses north of the proposed NDR route from the existing Fakenham road. This underpass should remain unlit and, ideally be created on-line with the existing road and


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hedgerow in this location to encourage bats to use this feature instead of crossing the open road. The tunnel should be a minimum of 3m width. If it is not possible to create the tunnel in line with the existing linear feature, additional planting will be required to encourage bat use of the tunnel provided; enhanced planting is suggested along the shooting school lane and south to the River Wensum corridor, to enhance wider landscape permeability from this crossing point.

Between Ch0 and C1500: Replacement bat roosting features will be required for the loss of roost 11 and the other trees with potential to support bats in this area; these are to be placed in appropriate locations in Attlebridge Hills and Deighton Hills north of the proposed road route. The opportunity should also be taken to provide bat boxes as an enhancement as well. At least three bat boxes are to be replaced for every roosting feature lost. The roosting boxes should be erected at least 200m from the proposed road route. A variety of boxes should be used to provide a variety of potential roosting features, which could be used by different bat species (e.g. Schegler 1FF, 1FD and 2FN; and bat boxes designed specifically for barbastelle (Greenaway and Hill, 2004)). Boxes should be erected as single boxes on the south side of tree at 4-5m height at least. Where possible, two or three boxes could be erected on the same tree (south facing, west facing and east facing) to provide variety of temperature conditions at different times for the bats.

Along the whole length of this section lighting should be avoided where possible. Where it is required low level, low light spillage, lighting should be use in preference to any other type. Lighting with low UV component (e.g. low or high pressure sodium lamps or other with suitable low UV levels) (BCT, undated) should be used in preference to any other type of lighting. The lamp design should be thought through carefully and should include the use of hoods/louvres as appropriate to minimise light spillage from illuminated areas. A lighting model should be created to show exactly which areas would be affected by light spillage and at what lux levels. Areas used by bats should be affected by light of no more than 3 lux (BCT undated) and lighting should be avoided completely 10m either side of a proposed road crossing point. Dependent on the patterns seen in lux levels in the area of the proposed tunnel, close-board or similar fencing may be required as a light deflector to ensure that the linear features leading to and the entrance of the tunnel itself remain unlit.

6.2 Area 2


No roosts have been recorded within 500m of the proposed NDR route in area 2.

6.2.2 Severance of flight paths and loss or disturbance of feeding areas

Marriott’s Way is located in area 2; this disused railway line, with a hedgeline either side (see Figure E1 in Appendix 1) has been recorded being used for commuting by a number of bat species including: barbastelle, noctule, Natterer’s, Daubenton’s, brown long-eared bats, common, soprano and Nathusius pipistrelle. This feature appears to be by far the most important feature for commuting bats along the entire length of the scheme. The male barbastelle bat 9 was recorded foraging over arable fields during the June radio-tracking session (Figure C5 in Appendix 1). A number of other barbastelles were recorded moving over this whole area during the radio-tracking session (see Figures C1, C2, C3, C13, C15 in Appendix 1). Pipistrelles were regularly recorded foraging along this feature during the activity surveys. Bats were also recorded using the woodland strip and hedgerow on the western and eastern edges of Thorpe Marriott for north-south movement and crossing the existing road to reach Drayton Drewray, including barbastelles. Given the apparent importance of the Marriot’s Way area, the potential impact of severance of this feature is likely to represent the biggest potential impact of any part of the proposed road route on bats.

The same potential impacts relating to collision risk and lighting impacts apply in this area, as they do in area 1.


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A number of measures are proposed in Area 2, in order to maintain flight routes and landscape permeability for bats and to minimise the potential for collision risk. These recommendations are given by chainage of the proposed road route.

Ch. 2400 (Marriott’s Way): The proposed road route intersects Marriott’s Way at grade. To avoid severance of this feature it is proposed that a green bridge is created in this location. This feature should be on line with the retained portions of Marriott’s Way. A footway/cycleway will form part of the bridge, but the bridge should be designed to allow growth of shrubs/trees on the green bridge itself, either side of the footway/cycleway, which will eventually replace those lost to the development. In order to minimise the impact of the severance on the existing feature the removal of vegetation within the footprint of the scheme and the creation of the green bridge should be carried out in the winter months. Planting up of the bridge and linking into the retained sections of hedgerow either side of Marriott’s way should use well-developed shrubs and saplings, rather than whips. Additional measures such as artificial trees in pots and/or temporary fences could also be used as temporary flight-line guides for bats whilst the vegetation develops.

Ch 1500 – 3250: Along Marriott’s Way additional planting is suggested to fill in small gaps along the existing hedgelines both sides of this feature. To enhance habitat permeability in the wider area, enhancement of hedgerows are also suggested to improve habitat linkages between Deighton Hills and Marriott’s Way. Additional planting is also suggested along hedgelines between Deighton Hills and Drayton Drewray (Dole Plantation) and either side of Marriott’s Way along the western boundary of Thorpe Marriott and the northern boundary of Taverham.

Ch. 4000 (Farm track north of School Road): the land-form is unclear here but the crossing feature proposed to accommodate farm traffic movement should be designed so that bats are able to use it. Preferably this should be in the form of an underpass beneath the proposed road route. This underpass should remain unlit and, ideally be created on-line with the existing road Additional planting will be required to encourage bat use of the tunnel provided; enhanced planting is suggested along the farm track and west to Drayton Drewray; planting is also suggested along the farm-track south of the crossing point to link with the mature hedgeline along the eastern side of Thorpe Marriott and beyond, south to the River Wensum corridor.

Whilst the majority of the habitat affected by the proposed road route is arable land in this area, this was found still to support some foraging by barbastelles. Studies of barbastelle foraging ecology in Germany and Switzerland (Rydell et al., 1996) found their diet largely to consist of moths, accounting for 73-94% of the insect items recovered from faecal samples. Recent studies undertaken through collecting faecal samples from bats in the UK, have found that UK barbastelles have a diet that is largely made up of “macro” moths, the larger moth species in the UK (Matt Zeale pers comm.). The list of macromoths identified through the faecal analysis includes more than 70 different species which will have a variety of ecological requirements. Individual adult moths will have differing flight periods and the barbastelle is likely to forage on the most available resource at the time.

Habitat creation and enhancement should focus on the creation of a mosaic of habitats of varying age, structure and species diversity in order to provide not only roosting resources for barbastelles (see section 6.1 above) but also in order to provide a variety of habitats which will support a wide range of foraging resources (moths) utilised by barbastelles. To illustrate, two of the species recorded by Zeale from barbastelle faecal analysis are the Yellow-barred Brindle Acasis viretata and the flame shoulder Ochropleura plecta. The former’s larvae feed on the flowers and leaves of a variety of foodplants including holly and ivy Hedera helix. The latter’s larvae feed on low plants such as dock Rumex sp. and plantain Platago sp.

Ch. 3000: low-level lighting should be used at this roundabout in order to encourage bats to use the bat bridge and tunnels proposed either side of this location. The lighting would need to be carefully designed to avoid light-spillage into Drayton Drewray woodland.

Between Ch.3000 and Ch.3500: Much of the Drayton Drewray woodland contains a high proportion of even-aged fairly young coniferous trees which hold little potential for roosting bats. Otherwise the understorey is well developed in places, the woodland is criss-crossed with rides


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and includes both wet and dry areas, provide a variety of microhabitats which supports numerous invertebrate species. A minimum of 12 roosting features are suggested at this location north of the proposed road route. The boxes need to be provided at least 200m from the proposed road route. A variety of boxes should be used to provide a variety of potential roosting features, which could be used by different bat species (e.g. Schegler 1FF, 1FD and 2FN; and bat boxes specifically designed to be used by barbastelle (Greenaway and Hill, 2004)). Boxes should be erected as single boxes on the south side of tree at 4-5m height at least. Where possible, two or three boxes could be erected on the same tree (south facing, west facing and east facing) to provide variety of temperature conditions at different times of day for the bats.

The advice relating to the design of the lighting scheme and minimising the effects of lighting remains the same as for Area 1, except for the specific advice relating to lighting at chainage 3000 given above.

6.3 Area 3


No roosts have been recorded within 500m of the proposed NDR route in area 3.

6.3.2 Severance of flight paths and loss or disturbance of feeding areas

An adult male bat (bat 4) was found to use the area just to the west of the proposed road route, otherwise none of the radio-tracked bats were recorded in this area. However, it appears that the linear feature monitored during the static surveys is used by commuting bats. High numbers of barbastelle passes were recorded through monitoring this feature in October 2008 (Ecographics, October 2008). The data collected in 2009 also identified that barbastelles and Myotis bats are likely to be using the monitored feature as a flight path; noctules and pipistrelles were also recorded in this area. The structure and linkages of this hedgeline do not appear, from ground-truthing surveys, to be an ideal flight line for bats as it is a fairly poor hedgerow, with gaps, in a very open and exposed area. However, review of aerial maps reveals it to be one of the only linear features linking wooded areas in the north to the Wensum floodplain to the south. Therefore it is likely to be a case that the bats are simply using the best feature that is available. The severance of the flight path is likely to be the most significant impact associated with the proposed scheme in this area, given the patterns of use and lack of any alternative flight path for the bats to use.



Measures proposed in Area 3, focus on the maintenance and enhancement of the flight route identified as being used by bats in this area, identified by chainage:

Ch. 5750 (near to Glebe Farm): To avoid severance of this feature it is proposed that a “brown bridge” is created in this location. This feature should be on line with the retained portions of the hedgerow, north and south of the proposed road route. This will comprise a solid-span bridge with close-boarded fencing along parapets and down embankments; linking into the retained hedgerow north and south of the proposed route, to encourage the bats to fly up and over the NDR route using this feature. In order to minimise the impact of the severance of the existing feature, the removal of vegetation within the footprint of the scheme and the creation of the bridge should be carried out in the winter months. Planting up linkages between the retained hedgerows and the fenceline up to the bridge abutment should use well-developed shrubs and saplings, rather than whips. Additional measures such as artificial trees in pots and/or temporary fences could also be used a temporary flight line guides for bats whilst the vegetation develops. Close-board fences will be required along the bridge parapet, down the abutment and linking into the retained hedgerows in order to limit light spillage from adjacent proposed junctions and the headlights of cars onto both the crossing point and the retained areas of hedgerow.


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In addition, wider habitat improvements are suggested along the hedgeline north and south of the proposed bridge to enhance linkages between wooded areas to the east of Horsford and woodland linking down to the Wensum corridor.

The advice relating to the design of the lighting scheme and minimising the effects of lighting in general remains the same as for Area 1. Due to the proximity of the two junctions either side of the proposed crossing route, it is particularly important to understand how light spillage (including headlights) from the junction would affect the bat bridge location and ensure that the design is amended to achieve the appropriate light levels.

6.4 Area 4


The barbastelle roosts R27, R26 and R18 all lie within 500m of the proposed road route in this area. R26 was used by a breeding female barbastelle, whilst R27 was used by a breeding female Natterer’s and R18 by breeding female Daubenton’s bats (see figure B8 in Appendix 1). None of these roosts will be directly affected by the scheme. While no roosts have yet been identified within it, Spixworth plantation contains a large number of trees with ivy covering that could offer potential for roosting bats.

Potential impacts on roosts in proximity to the proposed scheme include light spillage, either from lamp-light (during construction or operation) and/or from the headlamps of cars. Noise from passing cars can also be an issue, both factors causing disturbance and potential abandonment of roosts.

6.4.2 Severance of flight paths and loss or disturbance of feeding areas; The activity surveys indicated that Natterer’s and barbastelle bats were using the Spixwroth plantation for foraging and/or commuting. This was confirmed through the radio-tracking study as both the Natterer’s bat from R27 and the barbastelle from R26 were recorded regularly commuting and foraging within area 4, crossing the existing Buxton road and moving in and around Spixworth Plantation and the fields to the north and south of this feature. See figure C9 and C41 in Appendix 1. Bat 22 (an adult male barbastelle) was also recorded moving through this area (see Figure C11 in Appendix 1). The time of pipistrelle passes recorded by monitoring in this area during activity surveys would also indicate that a pipistrelle roost is present somewhere in this area. Part of the Spixworth Plantation will be lost beneath the footprint of the proposed scheme; this is the biggest impact of the proposed scheme in this area; it represents a loss of both foraging and commuting habitat used by a number of different species. It is understood that movement of the route alignment north or south is constrained by noise limitations in proximity to properties north and south of the proposed road route.

In addition to loss of commuting/foraging habitat, the same issues relating to collision risk in area 1 also apply to this area in relation to Barbastelles. The Kerth and Melber study (2009) would indicate that the proposed road is likely to have stronger barrier effects on the Natterer’s bats that forage close to surfaces (gleaning bats). Those individuals of this species that do attempt to cross the road seem to run a high risk of collision with motor vehicles. Research in Poland of a 1km section of road found that Natterer’s bats formed the largest proportion of bats found killed on the road (Lesinski, 2008). Over 70% of dead bats found in this study were from this species with a peak of bat casualties recorded in late August and early September. The majority of casualties were found near two points where tree lines were nearly perpendicular to the road suggesting the bats were using the tree lines and attempting to cross the road at these locations.

The road route could also result in contraction of range of the Natterer’s bats. A study by Schaub et al., (2008) suggests that foraging areas very close to highways and presumably also to other sources of intense, broadband noise are degraded in their suitability as foraging areas for such gleaning species.


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Ch. 10000 (near Quaker Farm): A wire bat bridge is proposed in this location in order to provide enhanced north-south movement opportunities for bats over the proposed road route. Planting is also recommended northwest of the crossing point in order to link the feature into retained hedgerows.

Ch. 11000 (Buxton Road): A brown/green bridge is proposed in this location in order to provide east-west and north-south movement opportunities for bats, particularly the Natterer’s bats. Buxton road will pass over the top of the NDR on a bridge. The embankments on the northern side appear to be quite large. It is suggested that the embankment slopes on this northern side are slackened as much as possible and planted up on both sides of Buxton road with shrubs and trees that will, with time create a hop-over across Buxton road, north of the proposed NDR route. Similar planting should also take place south of the proposed NDR route. On the bridge deck itself the deck should be over-wide to allow incorporation of a bat guide fence set between one of the bridge fence parapets and the Buxton Road. Both the bridge parapets and the guide fence will be of solid material (e.g ship-lap fencing) to provide a dark flyway for bats over the NDR route. The bridge parapets would need to extend from the bridge deck in order to link in with areas of retained or planted vegetation to encourage bats to find and follow this feature. Planting up of the bridge and linking into the retained sections of vegetation should use well-developed shrubs and saplings, rather than whips. Additional measures such as artificial trees in pots and/or temporary fences could also be used as temporary flight line guides for bats whilst the vegetation develops.

Ch. 12000 (North Walsham/Norwich Road): The roundabout at this location should remain unlit on the northern approach as far as possible and planting should take place on the western side of the Norwich Road north of the round-about in order to create a hop over east-west between retained areas of Spixworth plantation and the existing woodland east of the Norwich road at this point.

Ch. 11000-Ch12000: Areas of Spixworth plantation lost to the scheme should be replaced and the retained areas enhanced with additional planting north and south of the proposed road route. This will need to be set back from the road (by ~50m) to avoid encouraging bats to cross the road, apart from at the bridge locations suggested in this area.

Ch 12250: The loss of trees with roosting potential at Spixworth Plantation should be replaced with new roosting resources provided in Fir Covert. The replacement roosting resources should be provided at least 200m from the proposed road route. A variety of boxes should be used to provide a variety of potential roosting features, which could be used by different bat species (e.g. Schegler 1FF, 1FD and 2FN; specific design found to be used by barbastelle (Greenaway and Hill, 2004)). Boxes should be erected as single boxes on the south side of tree at 4-5m height at least. Where possible two or three boxes could be erected on the same tree (south facing, west facing and east facing) to provide variety of temperature conditions at different times of day for the bats.

Ch. 8500-10500 (north of the airport): the NDR route passes north of the Norwich airport in this location. To encourage east-west movement between Spixworth Park and the woodlands north of Horsham St Faith, enhancement planting of hedgerows is suggested in areas north of the proposed road route.


6.5 Area 5


The activity surveys recorded slightly higher numbers of passes by Myotis sp./Plecotus sp. in area 5 which contained a high proportion of passes within the hour after sunset or before sunrise,


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indicating that a roost might be present in this area. This was confirmed through the radio-tracking study: a number of roosts of bats were identified within 500m of the road scheme within Area 5. These included maternity roosting sites for Natterer’s, (R10) Daubenton’s (R20, R18 and R7) and brown long-eared bats (R29). The timing of noctule bat and pipistrelle bat passes recorded on static detectors in this area also indicates proximity to a roosting site, although their locations are not known. Whilst none of the known roosts will be directly affected by the scheme, the proximity of the proposed road route to roosts 20 and 29 could result in indirect impacts from lamp-light (during construction or operation) and/or from the headlamps of cars and/or from the noise of passing cars, which could result in the abandonment of the roost.

6.5.2 Severance of flight paths and loss or disturbance of feeding areas;

The Natterer’s bat roosting in this area was recorded moving over the proposed route (see figure C33 in Appendix 1); one of the Daubenton’s female bats in this area was recorded in R20, R18 and R7 (see figure C34 in Appendix 1); she was also recorded foraging at the springs, meaning that she would have moved over the line of the proposed road to move between these areas. Part of the area used by the brown long-eared female at roost 20 will also be directly affected by the scheme. Barbastelle passes were also recorded in this area during the activity surveys; a barbastelle bat roosting ~2.5km north of the proposed road route was recorded foraging in the Springs/Church Wood area adjacent to the scheme (see Figure C4 in Appendix 1). The impact of the scheme in the absence of any mitigation will not only be loss of habitat but also severance of flight paths and links between roosting and foraging habitat. Pipistrelle and noctule bats recorded in this area during the activity surveys are also likely to be impacted in the same way, although roost locations of these bats are not known.

The same potential impacts relating to collision risk apply in this area, as they do in area 1. The Kerth and Melber study (2009) would indicate that the proposed road is likely to have stronger barrier effects on the Natterer’s, Daubenton’s and long-eared bats that forage close to surfaces (gleaning bats). Those individuals of this species that do attempt to cross the road seem to run a also run a high risk of collision with motor vehicles (Lesinski, 2008).

The springs area is observed being used by large numbers of foraging bats during the activity surveys; the proximity of the road route to this area has the potential to affect this area through noise and light inputs from the road which could affect the area suitable for use for foraging bats, particularly for gleaning species. The road route could result in contraction of range of particularly the Natterer’s, Daubenton’s and Brown long-eared bats using this area. A study by Schaub et al., (2008) suggests that foraging areas close to highways are degraded in their suitability as foraging areas for such gleaning species.



Ch. 12650 (north of Park Farm): a wire bat bridge is proposed in this location to link severed sections of woodland fragment and provide a north-south commuting route for the bats. Hedgerow/woodland planting is proposed south of the bat bridge to enhance habitat linkages between the crossing point and the known Daubenton’s roost location (R7).

Ch. 13150 (Diary Farm): a brown bridge is proposed at this location to provide additional north-south movement opportunities for bats in this area. This feature should be on line with the retained portions of the hedgerow, north and south of the proposed road route. This will comprise a solid-span bridge with close-boarded fencing along parapets and down embankments linking into the retained hedgerows north and south of the proposed route, to encourage the bats to fly up and over the NDR route using this feature. In order to minimise the impact of the severance of the existing feature the removal of vegetation within the footprint of the scheme and the creation of the bridge should be carried out in the winter months. Planting up linkages between the retained hedgerows and the fenceline up to the bridge parapet should use well-developed shrubs and saplings, rather than whips. Additional measures such as artificial trees in pots and/or temporary


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fences could also be used as temporary flight line guides for bats whilst the vegetation develops. Close-board fences will also be required to limit light spillage onto both the crossing point and the retained areas of hedgerow.

Ch. 12650-13500: Habitat enhancements are proposed running west-east to promote connectivity between known roosting sites (R7, R18, R20), the proposed bat bridge locations and known foraging sites (the springs).

Ch 13500-14000: The opportunity should be taken to provide additional roosting opportunities at The Springs and through Church Wood. The roosting resources should be provided at least 200m from the proposed road route. A variety of boxes should be used to provide a variety of potential roosting features, which could be used by different bat species (e.g. Schegler 1FF, 1FD, 2FN and barbastelle boxes (Greenaway and Hill, 2004)). Boxes should be erected as single boxes on the south side of tree at 4-5m height at least. Where possible, two or three boxes could be erected on the same tree (south facing, west facing and east facing) to provide variety of temperature conditions at different times of day for the bats.

Ch. 14250 (Wroxham Road): The roundabout at this location should remain unlit on the northern approach as far as possible and planting should be considered east and west of the Wroxham road in order to create a hop over east-west between retained areas at the springs and along Osier Carr.


6.6 Area 6


The Rackheath area supports at least one maternity roost of brown long-eared bats (R12). A night roost used by this species was also identified in this area (R50). The recorded data from the static detectors suggests proximity of a roosting location of pipistrelles, due to the percentage of calls recorded in the hour after sunset and before sunrise. Neither of the known roosts will be affected directly by the proposed road scheme. Both lie ~300m west of the proposed road route. A male barbastelle, bat 15, was found roosting in woodland west of the proposed road route; its roost locations are more than 500m south west of the proposed road route in Tollshill Wood. Given the distances from the proposed road route these roosts are unlikely to be affected by noise or light from the road. However, if other roosts are present closer to the scheme, potential impacts could include light spillage; either from lamp-light (during construction or operation) and/or from the headlamps of cars. Noise from passing cars can also be an issue, both factors causing disturbance and potential abandonment of roosts.

6.6.2 Severance of flight paths and loss or disturbance of feeding areas The barbastelle bat 15 was recorded regularly moving over Rackheath park and north west of the existing Wroxham Road to Coopersholes plantation. A single bearing of the same bat was also taken in the region of boathouse carr ~3km north of the proposed road route, which means that the bat would have to cross the proposed road route to get from one area to another. Another male barbastelle bat (bat 4) (Figure C3 in Appendix 1) was found roosting in area 1 but was also picked up moving through Rackheath Park, west of the proposed NDR route, suggesting that area 6 may be used for foraging for this individual male barbastelle.

The limitations placed on the survey in the Rackeath area meant that whilst at least one maternity colony of brown long-eared bats was identified in the area, it was not possible to define fully their foraging areas. The proximity of the road scheme to the Rackheath Hall could potentially impact on the foraging range of any brown long-eared maternity colonies in these locations (see C35 in Appendix 1).

Whilst bats were recorded moving through area 6, neither the activity or the radio-tracking surveys indicated regular use of one particular part of area 6 affected by the proposed road route by


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foraging or commuting bats. However the area lost to the footprint of the scheme does support potential foraging and commuting habitats for bats. Therefore the issues previously identified in relation to collision risk for bats also apply in this area.


A number of measures are proposed in Area 6, in order to maintain flight routes and landscape permeability for bats and to minimise the potential for collision risk. These recommendations are given by chainage of the proposed road route:

Ch. 14750 (round hills): A wire bat bridge is proposed in this location in order to provide enhanced north-east\south-west movement opportunities for bats over the proposed road route.

Ch. 15550 (Newman’s Road): a brown bridge is proposed at this location to provide additional east-west movement opportunities for bats in this area. This feature will comprise a solid-span bridge with Newman’s road running across it; it will have close-boarded fencing along parapets and down embankments linking into the retained or enhanced woodland areas east and west of the proposed NDR route, to encourage the bats to fly up and over the NDR route using this feature. In order to minimise the impact of the severance of the existing feature, the removal of vegetation within the footprint of the scheme and the creation of the bridge should be carried out in the winter months. Planting up linkages between the retained areas of woodland and the fenceline up to the bridge parapet should use well-developed shrubs and saplings, rather than whips. Additional measures such as artificial trees in pots and/or temporary fences could also be used as temporary flight line guides for bats whilst the vegetation develops. Close-board fences will also be required to limit light spillage from the road and the headlights of cars onto both the crossing point and the retained areas of hedgerow.

Ch. 14500 – 16000: Planting is also recommended north-east of the crossing point in order to link the feature into retained areas of woodland (e.g. osier carr and heath wood). Such planting needs to be set back at least 50m from the road to avoid encouraging bats to cross the road in locations other than the provided crossing points.

Ch. 15500-16000 (Pigs Park/fir covert): The opportunity should be taken to provide additional roosting opportunities within the woodlands in Rackheath. The roosting resources should be provided at least 200m from the proposed road route. A variety of boxes should be used to provide a variety of potential roosting features, which could be used by different bat species (e.g. Schegler 1FF, 1FD, 2FN and barbastelle boxes (Greenaway and Hill, 2004)). Boxes should be erected as single boxes on the south side of tree at 4-5m height at least. Where possible, two or three boxes could be erected on the same tree (south facing, west facing and east facing) to provide variety of temperature conditions at different times of day for the bats.

Ch 16000- 17000: Habitat enhancements are suggested running along the southern boundary of New Rackheath, north east of the proposed road route in order to promote habitat linkages beween the southern end of the Springs and Witton Run, near Great Plumstead, through an area otherwise lacking in features which would obviously be suitable for use by commuting bats.

The advice relating to the design of the lighting scheme and minimising the effects of lighting remains the same as for Area 1

6.7 Area 7


No roosts were recorded in this area. However the activity survey results indicate that roosts may be present in this area. The highest number of barbastelle passes recorded anywhere within the whole site were recorded in this location, a proportion of which (3%) were recorded in the hour after sunset or before sunrise, which may indicate a roosting area, or may simply represent seasonal movement of bats upon the break-up of the maternity roosts. A very large number of pipistrelle passes were also recorded in this area; big bat passes were also recorded in not insignificant numbers and the percentage of early or late calls could indicate a roost of this species group present in this area. The linear feature that was being monitoring by the static Anabats


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contains a large number of mature oak trees with the potential to support roosting bats. The proposed road route directly falls on this feature with a junction, representing a loss of potential roosting resource. It is also likely that any retained roosts in proximity to the junction will be affected light spillage; either from lamp-light (during construction or operation) and/or from the headlamps of cars. Noise from passing cars can also be an issue, both factors causing disturbance and potential abandonment of roosts.

6.7.2 Severance of flight paths and loss or disturbance of feeding areas;

The activity surveys indicate that the feature monitored is used as a commuting route by barbastelle, big bats, Plecotus sp/Myotis sp. and pipistrelles, indicating the potential importance of this feature for movement of bats through the landscape. The highest number of bat passes recorded anywhere along the scheme were recorded by static detectors placed on this feature, which is indicative of its relative importance. The severance of this feature by the proposed road route, in the absence of any mitigation would represent a large impact, potentially of the same magnitude as the impact on Marriott’s Way in the absence of mitigation.



A number of measures are proposed in Area 7, in order to maintain flight routes and landscape permeability for bats and to minimise the potential for collision risk. These recommendations are given by chainage of the proposed road route. Given the lack of data from the radio-tracking sessions for this area and that the activity survey data is only for the second half of the season (July-September inclusive) the measures given in this section are precautionary.

Ch. 17000 (railway overbridge at Norwich Road): The railway over-bridge should be made wider than is necessary to accommodate the railway line and should remain unlit to allow bats to use this feature to pass north-south along the railway line. The opportunity should also be taken to provide habitat enhancements along the railway line, linking south to the Wensum Valley.

Ch17000-17500 (Norwich Road junction): It is understood that it is not possible to re-align the junction to avoid the loss of the hedgeline beneath it. Therefore measures will need to be put in place to take bats around the feature. The smaller roundabout of the junction should remain unlit, with planting north and south of the junction to encourage the bats to move around it. The larger roundabout will be lit but should employ low-level lighting which minimises light spillage.

Ch. 17750 (double hedgeline off Toad Lane): A wire bat bridge is proposed in this location in order to provide enhanced east-west movement opportunities for bats over the proposed road route. Planting is also recommended east and west of the crossing point in order to link the feature into retained hedgerows and/or other proposed planting

Ch. 18000 (Middle road): it appears that the road is on embankment at this location and that middle road passes beneath in a tunnel. If this is the case, then the tunnel should remain unlit and planting should be put in place at the tunnel entrances east and west of the proposed road route to encourage bats to use this feature, rather than flying across the road.

Ch. 18400 (Low road): Given the high levels of bat activity recorded in this area, a green bridge is suggested in this location; the design will be similar to that at Marriott’s Way. This should be created preferably on line with the retained sections of hedgerows along Low road. In order to minimise the impact of the severance of the existing feature the removal of vegetation within the footprint of the scheme and the creation of the green bridge should be carried out in the winter months. Planting up of the bridge and linking into the retained sections of hedgerow should use well-developed shrubs and saplings, rather than whips. Additional measures such as artificial trees in pots and/or temporary fences could also be used as temporary flight line guides for bats whilst the vegetation develops

Ch. 19000 (Smee Lane): A wire bat bridge is proposed in this location in order to provide enhanced east-west movement opportunities for bats over the proposed road route. Planting is also


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recommended east and west of the crossing point in order to link the feature into retained hedgerows and/or other proposed planting.

To mitigate for the loss of habitat beneath the Norfolk Road junction, additional planting is proposed along Toad Lane to Witton Run, along Middle Road and Low road to provide additional commuting and/or foraging resources. Where potential roosting resources are lost consideration will also need to be given to the location of alternative roosting provision. Options include the woodland along Witton Run or in the grounds of Great Plumstead Hall.

The advice relating to the design of the lighting scheme and minimising the effects of lighting remains the same as for Area 1 except for the specific recommendations given for Ch. 17000-17500.

6.8 Licensing A licence from Natural England will need to be sought to allow derogation from the legislation in relation to adverse effects on roosting sites used by bats prior to the felling of R11. Discussion should also be entered into regarding the requirement for licensing in relation to other potential impacts associated with the scheme on bats, in particular relating to the loss or severance (albeit temporary in some cases) of commuting routes and/or foraging areas.

6.9 Evidence for the efficacy of proposed measures The proposed mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures outlined above all aim to maintain landscape connectivity allowing the continued movement of bats through the landscape, despite the presence of a road route. Measures are also suggested to ameliorate the impacts of loss of potential roosting and foraging areas through enhancement to habitats off-line. Limpens et al., (2005) emphasises the importance of maintaining permeability through the landscape to support bat movement and to ensure that measures are targeted to the species’ requirements.

In order to provide some certainty to an assessment of impacts that will need to be given within an EIA, the mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures need to be agreed and finalised and set in the context of evidence of the efficacy of the proposed measures. The following section provides a review of available literature relating to bat bridges and tunnels. It should be noted that the majority of peer-reviewed research available comes from the continent, rather than the UK, and that many of the studies have simply reviewed whether bats are using particular features, i.e. looking at individual bat use of a feature, rather than looking at the efficacy of a feature in terms of maintaining population levels.

6.9.1 Evidence for bat use of tunnels

There are essentially two options which have been used to promote bat (and other wildlife) movement across road schemes: tunnels and bridges; both forms of mitigation have been promoted and used in Europe and America to a much greater extent that in the UK.

Bach et al., (2004) found, from a review of work undertaken in Germany that Myotis sp., pipistrelles, barbastelle and noctule bats were recorded using tunnels beneath a motorway; larger tunnels were used by more species of bat. Kerth and Melber (2009) found, during a radio-tracking study of barbastelle and Bechstein’s Myotis beachsteinii bats that both species of bat crossed the motorway using tunnels, but that the barbastelle bats flew over the motorway as well as using the tunnel, potentially exposing them to collision risk.

In the UK, the A477 Sageston to Redberth Bypass proposed road route was found to pass through an area used by Greater Horseshoe Rhinolophus ferrumequinum bats, a variety of mitigation measures were implemented to facilitate the safe passage of the bats across this road route. This included siting of culverts beneath the road on the line of features known to be used by the bats. A study by Wray et al., (2005) presented the results of monitoring two years after the opening of the road. Greater horseshoe bats were found to use the culverts provided, along with pipistrelle and Myotis sp. bats. Wray’s key recommendations from her experience and from information identified through other projects was:


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• Timely identification of the potential impacts allowing mitigation measures to be put in place during construction and avoiding costly retro-fit.

• Locating safe crossing points for bats in the positions most likely to be effective based on comprehensive baseline survey information.

• Modifying the earthworks and planting close to crossing structures to ensure that bats are led towards them.

• Monitoring effectiveness post-construction so that any necessary modifications can be made.

6.9.2 Evidence for bat use of bridges and hop overs

Bach et al., (2004) in their review of monitoring work on road crossing structures in Germany found that open bridges exposed to light from passing cars were found to be used very little by bats during their study, and less so than the tunnels they were monitoring, but were used by pipistrelles and Myotis bats.

Two years of monitoring of a wire bridge at Sirhowy Enterprise Way, Caerphilly, reported by the Highways Agency (2006) found evidence that Daubenton’s bats, pipistrelle bats, whiskered/Brandt’s bats and brown long-eared bats had all been recorded using this feature.

Wire bridges have attracted press in the past year; the Dobwalls wire bat bridge in Cornwall being criticised in newpapers (e.g. Telegraph, 20th October 2009) and being discussed in the Lords (Lords Hansard, 10 November 2009). The report regarding monitoring of the Dobwalls bridges is not yet publicly available (Billington pers comm.). However it is understood from reports in the press that bats have been recorded using the bridges; there is clearly a misrepresentation of the bridges in the press and it will be useful to see the results of monitoring as evidence-base to inform the mitigation design(s) used for the NDR scheme.

Fuhrman and Keifer (1996) found that the use of a wire bridge structure over a proposed road route by greater mouse-eared bats Myotis myotis increased further with the use of lateral guiding structures, emphasising the importance of not only the crossing point, but relationship to the landscape features leading the bat to the crossing point.

Green bridges are considered to be the best over-road option in terms of likelihood of success (Highways Agency, 2006; Limpens et al., 2005). In Germany, Bach and Muller Stei 2005) found up to 10 bat species were recorded using green bridges: whiskered bat Myotis mystacinus, Bechstein’s bat, Natterer’s bat, brown long-eared bat, greater mouse-eared bat, Nathusius’ pipistrelle, Daubenton’s bat, common pipistrelle, noctule and serotine bat. The widest green bridges (>50m) recorded the largest numbers of species using them. Noctule, serotine and Daubenton’s bat used green bridges solely for crossing. All other species were observed hunting above a green bridge itself or on its edge, as well as using it as crossing point.

6.9.3 Evidence of importance of habitat enhancement for barbastelles

A number of the studies described above emphasised the importance of careful consideration of the siting of crossing points intended for use by bats and also that features would be required to guide bats to use the designed crossing point.

Bontadina et al., (2005) found horseshoes would follow artificial “hedgerows” created from “bushes in containers”, providing experimental proof that bats will follow artificial linear features. The habitat enhancements suggested for the NDR scheme include planting to enhance the linear feature on which the proposed crossing points are sited, to encourage bats to use the feature. Wider landscape permeability is also considered as part of the mitigation package, with enhancements proposed to hedgerows. Improving habitat connectivity has been found elsewhere to have a positive impact on colony size of barbastelle bats (Greenaway, 2008).

6.10 Further Survey Before conclusions can be taken through to the EcIA for the proposed scheme in relation to predicted impacts and the detail of mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures, the following work and analysis is recommended:


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6.10.1 Activity Surveys

• Complete the survey of area 7 (April-June 2010 inclusive)

• Additional survey of linear routes severed by the proposed road scheme in Area 7 (April –June 2010) – to determine if the feature monitored in 2009 is unique in its high level of bat use in this area. Since the road scheme junction cannot be altered to avoid this feature, bats could instead be encouraged to use other features where bridges and /or tunnels can be used to cross the NDR route. The confidence of success of such proposed mitigation measures will be greater if it can be proved that bats are already using these features.

6.10.2 Radio-tracking surveys.

Corylus Ecology has provided a number of recommendations for further survey work, focussing on barbastelles. The recommended surveys can be split into those which can be considered to be required in order to avoid a potential challenge to the survey baseline and thus the validity of the EIA and those which are required to confirm the relationship between the colonies found at Felthorpe Plantation and Weston Park, determine colony sizes, and provide additional detail of home ranges. It is considered that determining the relationship between Felthorpe Plantation and Weston Park will be necessary to determine an appropriate baseline for future monitoring. The rationale for the proposed further survey is provided below.

Great Plumstead - Area 7 The findings of the activity surveys showed the highest number of barbastelle passes/hr recorded on static detectors in area 7, near to Great Plumstead. None of the barbastelles radio-tracked during the June or August 2009 session used this area; there is a gap in knowledge here that would be open to challenge as it could be argued that the ES has not been based on full environmental information. A hypothesis has been put forward that an additional barbastelle colony is present in this area or somewhere to the east of it. If this is the case it would affect the overall assessment of value of the area for barbastelles and the assessment of impacts. It is therefore recommended that a further radio-tracking study should be undertaken, focussing on this part of the site. It is recommended that the need for such an additional study is finally determined upon completion of activity surveys in April and early May 2010.

Felthorpe Plantation and Weston Park The June 2009 radio-tracking session identified a maternity roosting area in the Felthorpe Hall area. However, access into this area was limited to the extent that the roost trees used by radio tracked bats entering this area could not be identified and no emergence surveys of trees could be undertaken, therefore the size of the colony using this woodland is currently unknown. In August the second radio tracking session tracked bats to roost sites at Weston Park and not Felthorpe Plantation and bats at Weston Park were counted. It is hypothesised, given the overlapping ranges of some of the bats radio-tracked from Felthorpe and some of the bats radio-tracked from Weston Park, that the colony at Felthorpe Plantation moved to Weston Park later in the season. However, this cannot be confirmed from the data gathered to date. If this hypothesis is correct then it is considered that further survey will add little more to the assessment other than providing additional information on home ranges of bats. However, if it is not correct and in fact there are two separate breeding colonies at Felthorpe Plantation and Weston Park this would affect the assessment of the value of the area for barbastelles. It is also considered that determining if there is one or two separate breeding colonies will be important to determine the future monitoring requirements for the road.

The further survey that has been recommended should determine if the Felthorpe Plantation colony and Weston Park colony are the same one that has moved roosting area later in the season. It will also enable a count of the size of the colony to be made at Felthorpe Plantation prior to the birth of young. To enable a count of bats to be made, tagged bats will need to be radio-tracked to the roosts sites in Felthorpe Plantation. Once these locations have been determined counts of the number of females can be undertaken and individual bats ringed (small, uniquely numbered ring attached to their wing) to enable future identification at the known Weston Park


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roost. This will determine whether there is a link between the Felthorpe and Weston Park colonies; ringing the bats would also assist with identifying the longer-term movements of individual bats through monitoring. If radio-tracking is undertaken to locate the roost sites in Felthorpe Plantation further tracking of these animals could be undertaken in order to track a smaller number of bats, particularly breeding females, but seeking to maintain sustained contact with individuals to gain a greater insight into their habitat use, roosting sites, foraging areas, road crossing points and behaviour and to thereby provide more detailed information in support of the mitigation proposals.

With regard to the Weston Park complex, it is recommended that bats are caught at the known roost sites at Weston Park to determine if individuals ringed at Felthorpe have moved to Weston Park, which confirm a link between the two roost locations. At the same time efforts should be made to determine the size of the colony at Weston Park by undertaking manned/video exit counts of multiple tree roosts. Since the size of the colony should be determined by the number of adult females, targeted catching direct from key roosts should also be considered. All bats caught would need to be checked to identify any bats previously ringed from the Felthorpe woodlands and all new individuals would also need to be ringed. Further radio-tracking of a small number of breeding females from Weston Park could also be undertaken with sustained contact effort to gain further insight into their habitat use, roosting sites, foraging areas, road crossing points and behaviour and to thereby inform the proposals.


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Table 22 – Summary of Recommended Additional Surveys

Area Type of Additional Survey Reason

Great Plumstead Radio-tracking To find if there are any significant breeding roost locations in the east of the proposed NDR scheme

Counts from roosts found. Need to be undertaken simultaneously to determine size of population based on breeding females.

Felthorpe Hall Plantation

Radio-tracking in May/June and ringing.

Smaller number of bats tagged to allow continuous tracking of each bat to determine home range of colony.

Counts from roosts found. Need to be undertaken simultaneously of all tree roosts in this location to determine size of population based on breeding females.

Weston Park Counts from known roosts during summer between May and August

Need to be undertaken simultaneously of all tree roosts in this location to determine size of population based on breeding females.

Trapping from known tree roosts to determine if any ringed bats are present.

To determine whether there is a link between females at Felthorpe and Weston Park.

Radio-tracking of smaller number of bats but all breeding females

Should be considered to be able to determine home range of colony more accurately to enable in combination effects to be determined.

There are a number of recommendations for further survey work, particularly with reference to barbstelle bats which will allow a greater level of certainty to be placed on the likely residual assessment of impacts of the proposed scheme within the ES and to inform future monitoring requirements. Ultimately it is for the Council to determine, with discussion with the Government’s statutory nature conservation body Natural England, the level of baseline appropriate to enable them to meet their duties under Section 40 of the NERC Act and to be able to determine with a least some level of confidence whether they can address the three tests given within the Habitats Regulations relating to development works affecting bats:

• The proposal is necessary ‘to preserve public health or public safety or other imperative reasons of overriding public interest including those of a social or economic nature and beneficial consequences of primary importance for the environment’;

• ‘There is no satisfactory alternative’;

• The proposals ‘will not be detrimental to the maintenance of the population of the species concerned at a favourable conservation status in their natural range’.

This report provides suggested mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures, backed up with evidence as to their efficacy where this is available. However, uncertainties relating to the baseline need to be balanced against what is considered to be a reasonable effort to determine the existing status of bats in the area and allow future monitoring to take place against this baseline.

6.10.3 Assessment

The results of the radio-tracking and activity surveys this year should be combined with roost survey results to provide a complete baseline against which a holistic analysis of potential impacts on bats can be undertaken, enabling determination of whether the package of mitigation, compensation and enhancement needs amending to suit.


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6.11 Monitoring The purpose of monitoring impacts during and post construction is to provide certainty that the mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures put in place for a scheme are functioning in the way that they were designed to, and to put in place ameliorative measures to correct any problems identified through the monitoring.

No clear guidance is available on the level of monitoring that might be appropriate for a road scheme. The Highways Agencies Interim Advice Note (Highways Agency, 2008) simply states that monitoring for bats should be appropriate to the level of mitigation provided and should be included within contractual requirements. Where a significant level of mitigation is proposed, as has been put forward for this scheme, monitoring is particularly important in order to determine the success (or not) of the mitigation put in place. The monitoring methodology should be put together to monitor in any around newly created features (e.g. the bat bridges) and also to monitor against previously identified baseline survey work.

A recent article in the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (Green and Wyatt, 2009) discusses the monitoring work that has been put forward for a 5.3km road scheme where a mitigation package has been put together to ameliorate the impact of the scheme on another Annex II species, the lesser horseshoe bat. The roost site is very close to the line of the proposed road route in this case. Proposed monitoring for that scheme includes monthly counts at severed flight lines - assessing whether they cross the road using the structures provided or over the carriageway; emergence counts from the known roost; monitoring of new foraging areas created; corpse surveys monthly July-September.

The monitoring programme set out below is suggested for the NDR scheme. This should be discussed and agreed with nature conservation consultees and may need amending once the results of roost emergence surveys have been taken into account in the assessment given within this report.

Table 23: Suggested Monitoring protocol for NDR

Activity Length of monitoring Frequency of checks Static monitoring, 14 points (same as baseline) three times a season.

15 years (years 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15)

Late April, June and September each year.

Static monitoring of 8 additional points, three times a season.

15 years (years 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15)

Late April, June and September each year.

Survey for dead bats, early morning twice each year, July and September - 10 monitoring points

15 years (years 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15)

Late April and September each year.

Roost counts: single dusk-dawn survey

15 years (years 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15)

May-August inclusive each year (repeat at same time each monitoring visit for each roost)

Radio-tracking (barbastelles) 15 years (years 1, 3, 7 and 15) May/June or Aug each year, focussing on same areas identified as important through baseline survey.


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7 Conclusion The majority of the route passes through arable fields, avoiding large areas of woodland where possible. However, many hedgerows will be severed by the scheme, and some small areas of woodland will also be directly affected. The footprint of the scheme has been found to be used by a range of bat species including barbastelle bat to varying degrees along its length, dependent on proximity to roosting locations. A single roost has been identified as being directly affected by the proposed road route; however, further emergence surveys are scheduled in the 2010 season which may identifiy additional roosting features. The mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures proposed mainly relate to the maintenance of landscape permeability and functionality in relation to the barbastelle bats in particular, but also taking into account the other bat species identified as a result of the survey work undertaken. The key mitigation measures recommended as a result of the bat activity survey and radio-tracking work undertaken in 2009 include:

• Provision of safe passage for bats across the proposed road route including green bridges, modified accommodation bridges and other crossing points

• Provision of dark-flyways and light areas to encourage bats to use the safe crossing points

• Careful consideration of the lighting scheme design for the scheme to minimise light spillage onto adjacent areas.

• Landscape-scale permeability

• Habitat enhancements away from scheme to compensate for loss of footprint of scheme and possible degradation of habitat close to it.

The evidence for the efficacy of the provision of bat crossing points along the line of the road is discussed and additional survey work is suggested to provide more detail to the baseline for the scheme in relation to bats, therefore enabling a greater degree of confidence to be assigned to the assessment within the EIA.


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8 References Altringham, J.D. (2003) British Bats. The New Naturalist, Harper Collins.

Bach, L; Butkhardt, P; Limpens, H.J.G.A (2004) Tunnels as a possibility to connect bat habitats. Mammalia 68(4): 411-420

Bach, L and Müller-Stieß, H (2005) Examination of the efficiency of wildlife overpasses in Baden-Württemberg (FE 02.220/2002/LR).VAUNA Verein für Arten, Umwelt-und Naturschutz e.V. (Registered Association for the Protection of Species, the Environment und Nature Conservation)

Bat Conservation Trust (2005) Daubenton’s bat species information leaflet. Bat Conservation Trust, London.

Bat Conservation Trust (2005) Leisler’s bat species information leaflet. Bat Conservation Trust, London.

Bat Conservation Trust (2005) Natterer’s bat species information leaflet. Bat Conservation Trust, London.

Bat Conservation Trust (2005) Noctule bat species information leaflet. Bat Conservation Trust, London.

Bat Conservation Trust (2005) Serotine bat species information leaflet. Bat Conservation Trust, London.

Bat Conservation Trust (2005) Whiskered and Brandt’s bats. bat species information leaflet. Bat Conservation Trust, London.

Bat Conservation Trust (2007) Bat Surveys: Good Practice Guidelines. Bat Conservation Trust, London.

Billington, G. 2002. Report on further research of Barbastelle bats associated with Pengelli Forest Special Area of Conservation. Greena Ecological Consultancy for CCW.

Bontadina, F; Britschgi, A and Theiler, A (2005) Use of an artificial hedgerow as flight path by lesser horseshoe bats: a field experiment and its implications for conservation. EBRS, Galway

Corben, C (2006) www.hoarybat.com

Corlyus Ecology (2010) Norwich Northern Distributor Road. Radio-tracking survey report. Report for Baker Shepherd Gillespie.

Denzinger, A., Siemers, B.M., Schaub, A. & Schnitzler, HU. 2001. Echolocation by the Barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus. J Comp Physiol A 187: 521-528.

Dietz, C; von Helversen, O and Nill, D (2009) Bats of Britain, Europe and Northwest Africa. A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.

Ecographics (2008) Bat activity survey of section of the proposed route of the Norwich northern distributor road, Norwich, Norfolk. October 2008. Report for Mott MacDonald. Unpublished.

Enertrag vs South Norfolk District Council (December 2009) Appeal Decision. Appeal Ref: APP/L2630/A/08/2084443. Land around Busseys Loke, Hempnall, Norwich, Norfolk. The Planning Inspectorate, Bristol.

Entwistle, A C; Harris, S; Hutson, A M; Racey, P A; Walsh, A; Gibson, S D; Hepburn, I and Johnston, J (2001) Habitat management for bats. A guide for land managers, land owners and their advisors. JNCC

FUHRMANN, M & KIEFER, A (1996) Bat conservation in a new road development project: results of a two-year study of a nursery roost of Greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis, BORKHAUSEN 1797). English translation of German paper provided by Geoff Billington

Garland, L and Markham, R (2007) Is important bat foraging and commuting habitat legally protected? In Practice, December 2007. Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.


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Green, R and Wyatt, L (2009) Getting a Design Right for Lesser Horseshoe Bats. Experience from the A487 Porthmadog, Minfford and Tremadog Bypass. In Practice 66: 21-24

Greenaway (2004) Advice for the management of flight lines and foraging habitats of the barbastelle bat. Barbastella barbastellus. English Nature Research Reports Number 657. English Nature.

Greenaway, F. (2008) Barbastelle bats in the Sussex West Weald 1997-2008. Sussex Wildlife Trust Report.

Greenway, F and Hill, D (2004) Woodland management advice for Bechstein’s bat and barbastelle bat. ENRR No. 658. English Nature.

Highways Agency (2006) Good practice in enhancement of highway design for bats: Workshop report. Halcrow Group report for Highways Agency

Highways Agency (2008) Interim Advice Note 116/08. Nature conservation in relation to bats. Highways Agency.

http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/species.asp?FeatureIntCode=S1308

Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (2006) Guidelines for Ecological Impact Assessment in the United Kingdom (version 7 July 2006). http://www.ieem.org.uk/ecia/index.html

JNCC (2006) Natura 2000 Standard Data Form. Paston Great Barn. JNCC

Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 2007. Second Report by the UK under Article 17 on the implementation of the Habitats Directive from January 2001 to December 2006. Peterborough: JNCC. Available from: www.jncc.gov.uk/article17

Kerth, G and Melber, M (2009) Species-specific barrier effects of a motorway on the habitat use of two threatened forest-living bat species. Biological Conservation 142: 270-279.

Larson, D. J. and Hayes J.P., (2000) Variability in sensitivity of Anabat II bat detectors and a method of calibration. Acta Chiropterologica 2: 209–213.

Lesinski, G (2007) Bat road casualties and factors determining their number. Mammalia 2007 pp.138–142

Lesinski, G (2008) Linear landscape elements and bat casualties on roads- an example. Ann. Zool. Fennici 45:277-280

Limpens, HJGA, Twisk, P and Veenbaas, G (2005) Bats and road construction. Rijkswaterstaat, Dienst Weg – en waterbouwkunde, Delft, the Netherlands and the Vereniging voor Zoogdierkunde en Zoogdierbescherming, Arnhem, the Netherlands.

Mott MacDonald (2008) Norwich Northern Distributor Road. Environmental Statement. Ecology and Nature Conservation (Volume 1). November 2008. Unpublished report.

Parsons, S.M., George, B.P., & E.L. George (2001) Barbastelle bats at Paston Great Barn. Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists Society V.34 part 2 pp. 307-317.

R. (on the application of Simon Woolley) v Cheshire East Borough Council, 2009

Russo, D; Cistrone, L and Jones, G (2007) Emergence time in forest bats: the influence of canopy closure. Acta Oecologica V 31 (1): 119-126

Russo, D; Cistronec, L; Jones, G and Mazzolenia, S (2004) Roost selection by barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus, Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in beech woodlands of central Italy: consequences for conservation. Biological Conservation 117: 73–81

Rydell, J; Natuschke, G; Theiler, A and Zingg, P E (1996) Food habits of the barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus. Ecography19: 62-66.

Schaub, A; Ostwald, J and Siemers BM (2008) Foraging bats avoid noise. The Journal of Experimental Biology 211: 3174-3180


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Sierro, A (1999). Habitat selection by barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus) in the Swiss Alps (Valais). Journal of Zoology 248 , pp 429-432

Swift, S. M. and Entwistle, A.C., (2008) Grey long-eared bat Plecotus austriacus in Mammals of the British Isles: Handbook, 4th Edition (Harris, S., Yalden, D. W. Eds.). The Mammal Society.

Underhill J. E and Angold P. G (2000) Effects of roads on wildlife in an intensively modified landscape. Environmental Review vol 8, 2000, pp 21-39

Wray, S; Reason, P; Wells, D; Cresswell, W; & Walker, H (2005) Design, installation, and monitoring of safe crossing points for bats on a new highway scheme in Wales. UC Davis: Road Ecology Center. Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/0hg3p6rs


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Figures: Activity surveys


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Appendix 1: Radio-tracking figures provided by Corylus Ecology


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Appendix 2: Graphs showing number of bats/hour by species by anabat each month.

Area 1

Area 1 - Barbastella barbastellus - OX16

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Area 1 - Big Bats - OX16

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Area 1 - Plecotus sp./ Myotis sp.- OX16

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Area 1 - Pipistrelle sp. - OX16

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Area 1 - Indeterminate record- OX16

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Area 2 - Plecotus sp./Myotis sp. - OX19

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Page 95


-

10.00

20.00

30.00

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80.00

90.00

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Month

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Page 96


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Page 97

Area 7

Area 7 - Barbastella barbastellus - MON01

-

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Page 98

Area 7 - Big Bats - MON01

-

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Page 99

Area 7 - Plecotus sp./ Myotis sp. - MON01

-

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Page 100

Area 7 - Pipistrelle sp. - MON01

-

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20.00

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50.00

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70.00

80.00

90.00

100.00


Month

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Page 101

Area 7 - Indeterminate record- MON01

-

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Page 102

Appendix 3: Full details of all bats caught during the June and August radio-tracking sessions P55 – soprano pipistrelle; P45 – common pipistrelle; Nath – Nathusius pipistrellle; Natt – Natterer’s bat; BLE – brown long-eared; Daub – Daubenton’s bat; Noc – Noctule

Trapping locations shown in figures at Appendix 1

June session

29-May-09 Sunset time 21.05

T1 - Deighton Hills HL/ADW Grid ref 614200 316000

Time Spp Sex Breeding Status Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number

Comments

1 21.30 P55 M NB 30.6 4 H1 13 caught in H1 and M3 which is

2 21.35 P55 F P 32.5 6 H1 on ride down from hill/

3 21.45 P55 F P 31.6 6 M3

4 22.00 P55 F P 30.6 6 M1 M3 pole collapsed and removed 23.45

5 22.00 P55 M NB 31.3 H2

6 22.43 Natt F P 39.6 9.5 M2

7 22.55 Natt M NB 39.7 7.5 M3

8 22.55 P55 F P 32.1 6.5 M3

9 23.05 Natt F P 39.9 9.5 H1

10 23.05 P55 F P 31.8 6 H1

11 23.45 Natt M TS 36.8 8 M3

12 23.45 P45 F P? 32.4 5 M3

13 0.00 P55 M NB 30.1 5 H1


Page 103

14 0.00 P55 F P? 31.1 4.5 H1

15 1.20 P55 M NB 31.5 4.5 M2

16 1.20 P55 M NB 31.7 4.5 H1

17 3.30 P55 M NB 29.9 5 H1

18 3.50 P55 M NB - - M1

T2 - Deighton Hills GB Grid ref 614700 315700

19 22.00 P55 F Lact 32.8 4.88 M

20 23.05 BLE F P 38.7 8.74 H lure 1

21 0.30 P45 M 31.5 4.35 H lure

22 0.30 P45 M 30.4 4.57 H lure

23 1.00 BLE F 39.2 7.6 H lure

24 2.15 P55 M 30.9 4.15 ?

30/05/2009 Grid ref T3a 615850 316550

T3 Marriots Way Grid ref T3b 616200 316300

25 21.5 P55 M NB 30.5 4 Sky

26 21.5 P55 M 30.8 4.5 Sky

27 22.00 P45 F P 33.5 5.68 H3

28 22.00 P45 F P 31.8 6 H3

29 22.00 P55 F P 31.9 6 H3

30 22.00 P55 M 30.2 4.5 M4

31 22.00 P45 M 31.7 4 M1

32 22.00 P55 F ? 33.2 5 M2

33 22.00 P55 M - 30.6 - H1


Page 104

34 22.00 P45 F P 33.6 - H2

35 22.35 P45 F P 33.6 5 H2

36 22.35 P45 F P 31.9 5.5 H2

37 22.35 P45 M - 30.9 4 H3

38 22.40 BLE F L 39 9 H1

39 22.30 P45 M TS 32.2 5 M4

40 22.30 P45 F P 33.9 7 M4

41 22.30 P45 F P 34.5 8.5 M4

42 23.00 P45 F P 31.9 6 Sky

43 23.00 P55 M - 31.4 4.5 H3

44 23.15 P45 M TS 31.3 5 HT1

45 23.15 P55 M - 31 4.6 HT1

46 23.50 P45 F P 33.2 5 HT3

47 23.50 P45 F P 32.5 6 HT3

48 1.00 P45 M - 29.6 4 HT3

49 12.50 BLE M - 36.6 6.5 Sky

50 1.10 Natt M - 38.2 7.5 HT2

51 1.25 P45 F 32.8 6.14 HT1

52 2.50 Barb M - 38 8.43 MN3 2 Prominent ear discs

53 2.50 BLE M - 37.6 7 HT3

54 2.50 BLE F P 36.9 8.5 HT3

55 2.50 BLE F P 38.5 8.5 Sky

56 2.50 P45 M - 30.7 4 HT3

57 3.10 Barb F P 40.6 10.5 H3 3 In lure HT v small ear lobes

58 2.50 BLE F P 37.9 8 Sky

59 2.45 BLE M 37.1 7.5 Sky


Page 105

60 2.55 P45 F P 30.4 - Sky

61 2.55 P45 M 31.3 -

62 2.55 P55 M - -

63 2.55 BLE F P - -

64 3.45 BLE F P - - Sky

65 3.45 Barb M 38.4 8 HT1 4

66 4.00 P45 F P - - HT2

31/05/2009

T4 - The Springs Grid ref 626750 314200

67 21.30 P55 M TS 31.4 5 H1

68 21.45 P55 M - 30.9 4.5 ?

69 21.55 P55 F P 33.1 5.5 MN

70 22.05 P55 F P? 31.8 5.5 18

71 22.05 P55 F NB 31.5 18

72 22.05 P55 M - 31.9 5 18

73 22.40 P55 F 30.4

74 22.40 Natt F P - too heavily pregnant to tag 31.8 H2

75 22.40 BLE M - 39.1 H2

76 22.40 Natt F P 37.1 H2 6

77 22.40 P55 F P 40.1 6.5 18

78 23.00 P55 F P 32.2 18

79 23.05 P55 F P 32.2 H2

80 23.05 P55 F P 31.7 H2

81 23.05 Barb M - 39.1 7.59 H2 5 Good ear tags, in lure harp trap


Page 106

82 23.20 P55 F P 32.5 5 H3

83 23.20 P55 F P 33.1 7 H3

84 24.00 Daub F P 36.8 9.8 H2 7

85 0.35 P55 F P 33 6 H3

86 0.20 P55 M - 31.9 4 18m net

87 1.15 Natt M - 37.2 9 MN2

88 1.15 Natt M - 38.6 5.5 MN2

89 1.35 BLE M - 38 7.5 MN5

90 1.25 P55 M - 31.3 4 MN2

1.15 Natt Recapture bat 6

91 1.40 P45 M - 30.7 4.5 H2

92 3.10 P55 M - 31.2 5 H2

93 3.50 P45 F P - - H2

01/06/2009 Grid ref T5a 627500 312250

Grid ref T5b 627700 312200

T5 Rackheath Grid ref T5c 627600 312350

94 22.15 P45 F NB 31.5 5.5 Ht

95 22.30 P45 F Heavily P 31.9 6 HT2

96 22.30 BLE M - 39.4 8.5 HT2

97 22.30 BLE F Heavily P 40 9 HT2

98 23.25 Natt M - 38.2 7.5 HT4

99 23.25 BLE M - 38.4 7 HT4

100 23.25 BLE F P 40.2 7.5 HT4 8

101 23.25 BLE F P 38 9 HT4


Page 107

102 23.30 P45 F NB 32.5 6 HT1

103 23.30 BLE F P 38.9 7 HT4

104 23.30 BLE F P 40.1 7.5 HT4

105 0.10 P55 M - 31.6 4 HT2

106 0.15 BLE M Prom testes 39.4 8.18 HT4

107 0.35 BLE F P 40.7 10 HT4

108 1.05 BLE F P 39 8.84 HT4

109 1.45 P45 M - 29.7 4 HT1

110 1.45 BLE F P 39.2 7.78 HT4

111 1.45 BLE F P 39.1 9.16 HT4

112 1.45 BLE F L - poss just given birth 39.5 8.01 HT4

113 1.45 BLE F NB 40.8 9.22 HT4

114 1.45 BLE M - 38.5 6.46 HT4

115 1.45 BLE F P 39.8 9.15 HT4

116 1.45 BLE M - 38.8 7.66 HT4


118 2.35 BLE F P 39.7 9.23 HT4


120 2.35 BLE F P 38.8 8.88 HT4

121 2.35 P55 M - 30.6 4.44 HT1

122 2.35 BLE M - 36.6 6.72 HT4

02/06/2009

T6 - Beeston Park

Geoff Billington and Sarah Collins Grid ref 625500 314100


Page 108

123 0.30 P45 F P 32.4 5.32 M2

124 2.45 P55 M - 30.7 4.86 6

125 0.40 P55 M - H2

126 0.40 P45 M - H2

127 0.40 BLE M - H2

128 0.40 BLE F Heavily P H2

03/06/2009

T7 - Marriots Way Bridge Grid ref 616550 315550

129 21.58 P55 M NB 31.4 5 HT low

130 21.58 P55 M TS 32.2 5.5 HT low

131 22.10 P45 M NB 5 HT high

132 22.10 P45 F P 32.05 6.5 HT high

133 22.20 P55 M NB 31.2 5.5 M3

134 22.20 P45 M NB 31.8 5 M3

135 22.20 P55 M NB 31.3 4.5 M3

136 22.24 Barb M NB 39 8 HT low 9 no lure, low harp trap - good ear tags

T8 - The Wilderness Grid ref 621500 316400

137 22.00 P45 F P 33.5 6.6 6

138 22.00 P45 F P 31.3 4.3 6

139 22.00 P45 F P 31 4.1 6

140 22.20 P45 M - 32.5 4.9 5

141 22.20 P45 F P 32.4 4.7 3

142 23.20 P55 M - 30.2 4.2 5

143 1.00 P45 F P 31.9 6.2 3


Page 109

04/06/2009

T9 - Hall Lane Grid ref 616400 318750

144 21.45 P55 F P 32.1 6.17

145 21.45 P55 F P 31.2 7.34

146 21.45 P55 F P 32.4 6.33

147 21.45 P55 F P 31.8 5.9

148 21.45 P55 F P 31.7 6.27

149 21.45 P55 F P 32.7 6.1

150 21.45 P55 F P 32 7.82

151 21.45 P45 F P 31.6 5.66

152 21.45 P45 M - 30.8 4.58

153 21.45 P45 F P 32.4 6.1

154 21.45 P55 F P 31.4 7.2

155 21.45 P55 M - 29 4.2

156 21.45 P45 F P 31.8 5.65

157 21.45 P55 F P 31.7 6.32

158 21.45 P55 F P 32.2 5.6

159 22.20 Nath M - 32.3 4.9 10

160 22.20 Daub M - 37.5 9.43 11

161 22.20 Daub M - 35.7 7.04

162 21.45 P55 F L 31.4 6.24

163 21.45 P55 F L 32.1 5.92

164 21.45 P55 F L 30.3 5.89

165 21.45 P55 F P 31 5.7

166 21.45 P55 M - 30.6 4.34


Page 110

167 21.45 P55 F - 30.9 5.83

168 21.45 P55 F L 32.1 6.12

169 21.45 P45 F P 33.2 8.23

170 22.20 Natt F V P 40.3 6.38

171 21.45 P55 F P 32.5 9.5

172 21.45 P45 F P 31.9 6.37

173 21.45 P55 F P 30.7 6.02

174 21.45 P45 M - 31.8 4.86

175 22.20 Natt M - 37.5 7.2

176 21.45 P45 F P 30.9 5.52

177 21.45 P55 F P 30.9 6

178 21.45 P55 F P 31.2 5.6

179 P55 F P 32.4 6.6

180 P55 F P 32.6 5.7

181 P55 F P 33.3 6.4

182 P55 F P 32.5 5.6

183 P55 F P 32.5 6.5

184 P55 F P 32.5 6.2

185 P55 F P 32.6 6

186 P55 F P 32.2 5.5

187 Barb F P 39.8 10.5 12 T4 no notes re ear tags

188 P55 F P 32.5 6.9

189 P55 F P 33 6

190 P55 F P 31.9 6

191 P55 F P 31 6

192 P55 F P 31 6


Page 111

193 P55 F P 33.4 6.6

194 P55 F P 32.1 6.9

195 P55 F P 31 6

196 P55 F P 32.8 6

197 P45 M - 31.5 4

198 BLE M - 37.5 6.8

199 P45 F P 30.2 5.8

200 P45 M - 32.5 4.4

201 P55 F P 32.2 7.08

202 Natt M - 38.9 7.1 13 T3

203 P45 M - 31.7 4.2

204 P55 F P 32.5 7

205 P45 F P 31.6 6.4

206 P45 F P 31.5 5

207 P55 F P 31.7 6.3

208 P55 M - 31.5 4.5

209 P55 F P 31.2 5.7

210 P55 F P 30.9 5.1

211 P55 F P

212 P55 F P

213 P45 M -

214 P55 F P

215 P55 F P

216 P55 F P

217 P55 F P

218 P55 F P


Page 112

219 P55 F P

220 P55 F P

221 P55 F P

222 P55 M -

223 P55 F P

224 P55 F P

225 P55 F P

226 P55 F P

227 P55 F P

228 P55 F P

229 P55 F P

230 P55 F P

231 P55 F P

232 P55 F P

233 P55 F P

234 P55 F P

235 P45 F P

236 P55 F P

237 P55 F P

238 P55 F P

239 P55 F P

240 P55 F P

241 P55 F P

242 BLE F L 38.4 7.12

243 P55 F P

244 P55 F P


Page 113

245 P55 F L

246 P55 F NB

247 P55 F P

248 P55 F P

249 P45 F P

250 P45 F P

251 P55 F P

252 P45 M -

253 P55 F P

254 Barb M - 38.1 9.43 14 2 pronounced ear tags

Nath recapture 10

255 P55 F P

256 P55 F P

257 P55 F P

258 P55 F P

259 P55 F P

260 P45 M

261 P45 M

262 P45 F P

263 P45 F P

264 P55 F P

265 3.05 P55 F P

266 3.05 P45 M

267 3.25 P55 F P

268 3.25 P55 M -

269 3.25 P55 F P


Page 114

270 3.25 P55 F P

271 3.25 P55 F P

272 3.35 P45 M -

05/06/2009

T10 - Beeston Park 2 Grid ref 626250 313300

273 23.4 BLE F P 37.8 8 T1

274 0.45 Barb M - 37.4 9 15 T2 Not in lure Ht - ear tags small

06/06/2009

T11 - Springs North Pond Grid ref 626650 314300

275 22.00 BLE F L 39.3 7.43 16 MN2

276 22.45 BLE F P 40 9.19 HT

277 22.00 P55 M - 31.5 4.25 HT

278 22.00 Daub F P 36.2 8.84 17 MN3

279 22.00 P55 F P 32 6.65 MN3

280 22.00 P45 M - 29.8 4.37 MN3

281 22.30 P45 M - 31.5 4.87 Double

HT

282 22.30 P45 M - 31.1 4.87 Double

HT

283 22.30 P45 F P 31.6 5.88 Double

HT

284 22.00 Daub M - 36.1 10.98 HT

285 22.00 P45 F P 33.2 5.81 Double

HT


Page 115

286 22.30 Natt F - 39.5 7.14 Double

HT

287 1.00 P45 M - 30.2 4.06 HT

288 2.30 BLE M - 35 7.1 Double

HT

07/06/2009

T12 - Spixworth Grid ref 623800 314700

289 22.35 P45 M 30.3 4.2 HT2

290 23.10 P55 M 31.6 4.44 HT2

291 23.10 P55 M 31.2 4.72 HT2

292 23.10 P55 F P 32.1 6.02 HT2

293 23.15 Natt F P 40.2 8.11 18 HT3

294 23.15 Natt M 41.35 8.6 HT3

295 23.20 P45 F P 32.9 6.01 HT4

296 23.50 P55 M 31 6.31 HT2

297 0.05 P45 F P 30.5 6.27 HT4

298 0.05 P55 M 30.7 4.71 HT3

299 0.35 P55 F P 33.4 5 HT3

300 2.30 Daub M NB 37.3 9.5 HT3

301 2.30 Daub M TS 37.2 8.1 HT3

302 2.30 Barb F 48.7 9.5 19 HT4

August session

01-Aug-09 Sunset time 20.46


Page 116

T13 - Hall Lane HL/ADW/MS/Ali 616300 318600

Time Spp Sex Breeding Status

Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number

Comments

No bats caught trapping called off 10pm

02/08/2009

T13 - Hall Lane HL/ADW 616300 318600


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number

Comments/Lure call sequence

1 23.45 P55 F NB 31 5 HT1 1

2 23.45 Daub M TS 36.4 8.5 HT1 1

3 23.45 BLE M NB juv 38.3 8 HT1 1

4 23.45 BLE F PL 41.1 8 HT1 1

5 0.55 P55 F NB 31.1 6.5 HT1 1

6 1.50 P55 M TS 30.4 6 HT2 2

7 2.20 P55 M NB 30.8 5 HT1 2

8 3.50 Daub F Pregnant 38 10.5 HT2 2

9 5.08 P55 F PL - - HT2 2

T14 - Millhill Plantation MS/Ali Grid ref 616200 318300


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number

Comments

10 21.30 P55 M Juv 30.1 4.1

11 23.45 P55 F Juv 32.9 6

12 5.00 BLE F P


Page 117

03/08/2009

T3b - Marriots Way north ADW/HL/MS/Ali Grid ref


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number


13 21.35 P55 F NB juv 31 MN2

14 21.40 P55 M NB juv 31.5 4.5 MN2

15 21.50 P55 F NB juv 33.1 5 HT2

16 21.50 P55 F NB juv 31.7 5 HT2

17 21.50 P55 M TS juv 30.5 6.25 HT2

18 22.05 BLE F L 37.5 8 MN4

19 23.10 P55 M juv 30.9 4.5 HT2

20 23.27 Barb M Juv? 38.2 8 HT2 21

Ear discs present but small - right wing seems to have unfused epiphysis, left wing seemed fused.

21 0.40 P55 M Juv 30.9 5 HT2

22 1.05 P55 F NB adult 32 6 HT1

23 1.25 P55 F Juv 33.4 5 HT2

24 2.10 P45 F NB 32.1 5.5 HT1

25 2.10 P45 F NB juv 32.5 5 HT2

26 3.05 P45 M NB adult 31 4 HT2


Page 118

T7 - Marriots Way bridge GB/Sarah


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number


27 22.00 P45 M 31.7 4.85 SN

28 22.00 P45 M 31.6 4.44 SN

29 22.15 P55 M 30.3 4.7 MN2

30 22.00 P55 F 31.6 5.22 SN

31 22.00 P55 F 31.7 5.27 SN

32 22.00 P45 F Lactating 32.9 5.43 SN

33 22.25 P45 F Lactating 32 4.95 HT

34 22.25 P45 F 31.5 4.86 HT

35 22.59 P45 M 31.5 5.04 HT

36 23.04 P45 M 31.5 4.33 SN

37 23.50 P45 M 30.1 4.49 SN

38 3.00 Natt M 38.5 9 SN

39 3.00 P55 M 30.5 4.27 HT

40 3.30 P55 M 32 4.91 HT

41 3.50 P55 F 32.2 5.4 ?

42 3.50 P45 M 30.9 4.19 ?

NB 3x pips secaped from Sky Net at

22.00

1x pip escaped from Sky Net at 3.30

04/08/2009

T15 - Larter Farm Path HL/ADW Grid ref 617100 319250


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number



Page 119

43 21.25 P45 M Juv TS 30.9 4 HT1

44 21.25 P45 M TS 32.5 4.5 HT1

45 21.30 P45 M Juv 30.4 6 HT2

46 22.28 Natt F PL 39 8.5 HT3

47 22.55 BLE M Juv 36.5 7 HT2

48 3.00 P55 F PL 31.2 5.5 HT3

49 4.30 Daub F PL 38.3 ? HT2

50 4.39 P55 F NB HT2

8

04/08/2009

T16 - Cushion Common Plantation GB Grid ref 616300 319150


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number


51 0.30 P55 M 29.5 4.71 HT

05/08/2009

T17 - Felthorpe Common ADW/HL Grid ref 617700 316800


Forearm mm Weight g

Trap Tag number


52 21.30 P45 F Juv 30.95 5 HT

53 22.15 BLE M Juv 36.9 7.5 MN2

54 22.30 BLE F Lactating 37.7 9.5 MN2

55 22.30 BLE M NB 37.2 7.5 MN2

56 22.30 BLE M TS 37.9 7 MN2

57 22.30 BLE F Juv 38 8.5 MN2 - no belly fur


Page 120

58 22.45 BLE F P 37.4 8.5 MN2

59 0.15 BLE M Juv 38.5 7 MN2

60 1.00 BLE F P 37.4 6.5 MN2

61 1.20 P55 M NB 30.3 5 HT

62 3.20 Natt F Lactating 39.3 7.5 MN2


64 3.20 BLE F Juv 39.7 8 MN2

65 3.20 BLE F NB Juv 39.9 9.5 MN2

66 P55 F Juv HT

T18 - Swannington/Swifflers Lane Grid ref 614650 318350


Forearm mm Weight g

Trap Tag number


67 21.30 P55 M Juv TS 30.4 MN1

68 21.30 P45 M Juv TS 31 HT1

69 21.30 P45 F NB 31 Ht3

70 21.30 Pip M TS escaped from

net MN1

71 21.59 Nath pip F Juv TS 32.2 HT2

72 22.45 BLE F Lactating 38.5 MN1


74 23.45 BLE F Lactating 37.3 -

75 23.45 P45 F NB 31.9 HT2

76 23.45 Daub F 37.4 HT1


78 1.00 BLE F escaped from

net MN1


Page 121

79 1.00 BLE F 37.8 MN1

80 1.15 P45 F NB 31.9 HT3

81 1.15 Natt M 40.2 HT3

82 1.40 BLE M 37.5 MN2

83 1.40 P45 M 32.9 MN1

84 1.40 P45 M 30.6 MN1

85 3.05 Natt M 38.6 MN1


87 4.30 P45 M HT2

88 4.30 P45 M HT3

89 4.30 P45 M HT3

06/08/2009

Clees Lane and Hall Lane ADW

No bats caught although 3 new holes in 9m net alongside Hall Lane

T12 - Spixworth GB/MS


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number


90 21.00 P55 M TS 31.4 5 HT1

91 21.20 P55 F NB 30.8 5.4 MN1

92 Nathusius M Juv 32 4.2 HT2

93 22.10 Natterer's F NB 39.9 7.64 HT2


Page 122


95 22.35 BLE M 39.1 6.23 HT2

96 22.35 Barb M 37.8 8.51 HT2 22 Pronounced ear discs

97 23.45 BLE M Ad 37.5 8.1 HT2

98 0.25 Nathusius F 32.9 4.62 HT2

99 0.25 BLE M 38.6 7.85 HT1

100 0.25 Natt F Lactating 40.1 9 HT2

101 1.15 P45 F NB 31.7 5.21 HT2

102 3.10 Nathusius F NB 32.1 4.86 MN1

103 P55 M MN1 Weight and forearm not measured due to rain

104 P55 F NB HT2 Bats released after identification.

105 P45 M HT2

106 Nathusius F MN4

107 P55 F MN4

108 P55 F -

109 3.30 Nathusius F Lactating MN1

110 3.45 Noc F HT2

111 3.45 P45 F HT2

112 3.45 P45 F HT2

113 4.00 P55 F HT1

07/08/2009

T8 - The Wilderness GB/HL/ADW


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number



Page 123

114 21.30 Nath M TS 31.3 5.8 Sky Appears to be a re-captured bat with fur clipped between shoulders

115 22.00 BLE F Juv 41.3 HT2

116 22.17 Natt M 38.7 9.5 MN4

117 22.47 Natt F Juv 36.5 8 Sky

118 23.15 Natt F adult NB 39.3 9 MN4

119 23.50 Natt M adult NB 40 7.5 HT2

120 1.50 Nath? F Lactating 32.2 5.5 MN1

Small bat forearm on minimum for Nathusius, collagen visible only very faintly on left wing. Teeth gap but no cusp on right jaw, left jaw gap and cusp present

08/08/2009

T19 - Marriots Way - west near Felthorpe Road HL/ADW/LB 614100 316950

Time Spp Sex Breeding

Status

Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number


121 21.30 Daub F 38.6 7.5 MN2

122 21.30 Barb M 37.3 8 MN2 23

123 21.30 Natt M 38.6 7.5 MN1

124 21.30 P45 F 31.6 5 MN2

125 21.30 P55 F NB 32.5 5.5 MN2

126 21.30 Daub F NB 36.2 9 MN1

127 21.30 P45 F PL 32.5 5 HT

128 21.30 BLE M Lost MN3

129 21.30 Daub F NB 34.8 7.5 MN1

130 21.30 Daub F NB 35.4 7.5 HT


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131 21.30 P55 F NB 32.5 5 HT

132 21.30 Nathusius F NB 32.8 5.5 HT Identified by wing membrane

133 23.20 P55 F PL 32 5.5 HT

134 23.20 Natt M 39 7.5 MN2

135 0.00 Barb F Lactating 40 9.5 HT 24

136 0.00 Barb M NB 37.5 8 MN3 25

137 1.00 P55 F PL 31.3 5.5

138 1.15 P55 F PL 31.9 5.5

139 1.00 BLE F NB 38.9 - MN2

140 1.00 Nathusius M TS 31.4 5 MN2

141 2.00 P55 M TS 31 5

142 2.00 P55 F PL 32.4 5

143 4.30 Daub F PL 36.2 9.5 HT1

144 5.10 P55 F - - HT1

145 5.10 P55 M TS - - HT1

146 5.10 P55 M TS - - HT2

26

T3a - Marriots Way nr car park GB/MS

Time Spp Sex Breeding Status Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number


147 23 BLE F Swollen vulva 37.8 7.1 MN3

148 23.1 P55 M Ad 30.5 4.9 MN5

149 23.42 P55 M Ad 30.2 4.4 MN5

150 23.1 Noc M Ad 52.6 31 HT2

151 1.4 Barb M Ad 36.2 8.65 MN5 26

152 2.45 BLE M Ad 38.5 7.4 Sky


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153 2.55 Barb M Juv 37.7 8.7 HT2 27

09/08/2009

T20a - Marriots Way by Attlebridge Car Park HL/ADW 612682 317651


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number


154 21.10 Pip MN1 Escaped from capture bag

155 21.15 Pip MN3 Flew in and out of mist net

156 21.25 Pip MN2 Released without measuring as had bleeding mouth

157 21.25 P55 F PL 32.5 5.5 MN2

158 22.00 P45 F NB 32.5 6 MN1

159 22.30 P55 F NB 31.6 6.5 MN4

160 23.00 BLE F PL 38.7 8.5 MN4

161 1.48 Pip Flew in and out of mist net

T20b -Marriots Way by River Crossing GB/ADW 612249 317768


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number


162 21.00 Barb F Lact 36.2 8.28 H1 28

163 21.00 Nathusius F Juv M3

164 21.30 Barb M H2 29

165 22.45 Barb F H1 30


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166 BLE M Juv 36.8 6.12 H1

167 P55 M Juv H1

168 P55 F H2

169 P55 F H2

170 P55 M Juv H2

171 P55 F H2

172 P55 F H2

173 P55 M H2

174 P55 F H2

175 BLE M 37.1 7.74 M3

176 BLE Escaped M2

177 P55 F H2

178 P55 F H2

179 P55 F H2

180 Natterer's M TS 39.7 7.32 M1

181 P55 M M2

182 P55 M

183 P55 M

184 P55 M

185 P55 M

186 BLE F PL 37.1 7.3 H1

187 P55 M H1

188 P55 M

189 P55 M

190 P55 M

191 P55 F PL H1


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192 P55 F H1

193 0.3 Natterer's F Juv 40 6.34 MN3

194 P55 F H1

195 P55 F H1

196 BLE M 38.2 8.49 H1

197 Daub F H1

198 Daub M TS 34.8 7.95 H1

199 1.15 P55 F PL MN1

200 1.20 P55 F PL H1

201 1.20 P55 M Juv H1

202 1.20 P55 M H1

203 1.45 P45 F PL H2

204 1.45 P55 F PL 31.4 4.36 H2

205 1.45 P55 F PL 31.6 4.8 H2

206 1.45 P55 M Juv 29.7 4.26 H1

207 2.00 P55 M 31.5 4.26 H1

208 2.00 Barb M TS 38.6 8.57 H1 31

209 3.30 P55 F Juv 31.7 3.89 H2

210 3.30 P55 M TS 30 4.85 H2

211 3.30 P55 F PL 32.9 5.07 H2

212 3.30 P55 F PL 30.1 4.78 H2

213 3.30 P55 F PL 31.9 4.89 H2

214 3.30 P55 F Lact 31.9 5.86 H2

215 3.30 P55 F PL 32.5 5 H2

216 3.30 P55 F Juv 31.8 6 H2

217 P55 F Juv 30.7 8.59


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218 Daub M

219 Daub M

10/08/2009

Tree Roost 31


Forearm mm

Weight g

Trap Tag number


220 19.00 Barb M Juv 37.7 8 38

221 19.00 Barb F NB adult 39.5 9 33

222 19.00 Barb F Juv 38.4 8.63 32

223 19.00 Barb F Juv 39.4 8.78 34

224 19.00 Barb F NB adult 38.4 9.12 39

225 19.00 Barb M Juv 37.9 8.5 35

226 19.00 Barb F Juv 39.9 9.91 36

227 19.00 Barb F NB adult 38.7 8.15 37

11/08/2009

Tree Roost 34


Status Forearm

mm Weight

g Trap Tag

number Comments/Lure call sequence

228 Barb F NB escaped

229 Barb F Lactating 41.1 9.68 40

230 Barb M Juv 37.7 7.58 41

Tree roost 33


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Status Forearm

mm Weight

g Trap Tag

number Comments/Lure call sequence

231 Barb F Lactating 39.8 10.22 42


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Appendix 4: Description of tree and building roosts that tagged bats were tracked to (June and August Sessions) P55 – soprano pipistrelle; P45 – common pipistrelle; Nath – Nathusius pipistrellle; Natt – Natterer’s bat; BLE – brown long-eared; Daub – Daubenton’s bat; Noc – Noctule

Trapping and roost locations shown in figures at Appendix 1

June Session Table 1: Barbastelle roosts identified through the June session of radio-tracking

Roost number

Bat number

Grid Reference Tree/Building Location Species of tree

dbh cm Location of roost and additional information

2 2 TG 1646 1767 Building Chicken Sheds at Felthorpe

3 3 TG 16681 18612 Poss tree Not exactly sure Felthorpe Hall

4 4 TG 17492 14579 Unknown Possible night roost Littlewood House

5 3 TG 15466 18263 Tree Swannington Bottom Plantation

Oak 50 Vertical split - 2 other bats also seen emerging, c45m in from woodland wall 60 - 8-% understorey within 50m of tree, 40m from watercourse

6 4 TG 14725 16330 Tree Ash 40 Triple stemmed ash, few features dead ivy throughout

8 5 TG 28117 16541 Tree Wroxham Hall Sweet Chestnut

9 3 TG 16588 18700 Tree Right on edge of Felthorpe Hall

Sweet Chestnut

70 Just in from fence into Felthorpe Hall land. Not accessed. Lifted bark on trunk potential throughout

14 9 TG 16073 12882 Tree Cottesey Oak/Ash 70 Ash fallen into oak dangerous tree

16 14 TG 16305 19242 Tree Corner Haveringham Lane

Oak 70 In line of veteran oaks, 3rd one east of road. Large hollow branch and split vertical

21 15 TG 26496 13089 Tree Tollgate wood Sweet chestnut

90 Significant tree, much lifted bark, cracks and splits


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22 14 TG 16259 19694 Tree Long Covert - northern part of west side

Sycamore 50 Not sure double stemmed tree, with stems twisted together forming cavity.


One of three trees not possible to determine which one

24 15 TG 26566 13207 Tree Tollgate wood Beech Beech within woodland fallen over (lying on ground) with split/cavity to S North of tree 21. Split 3m above ground level

26 19 TG 24757 13749 Tree Red Hall Oak 85 On paddock boundary in southern corner,hanging limb over field with 3m split at approx 10m high facing east plus second feature 2m south in different limb obscured


Dead 15 Dead pole south east corner of woodland, flaky paper bark throughout

30 15 TG 2644 1310 Tree Tollgate wood Chestnut 110 Probably in split snapped off branch at 8m height.40m from edge of wood.

Table 2: Locations where barbastelle bats were caught and the location of tagged barbastelle bats in roosts during day-time of June radio-tracking session

Bat no 29/05/2009 30/05/2009 31/05/2009 01/06/2009 02/06/2009 03/06/2009 04/06/2009

Trapping locations

Deighton Hills

Marriots Way

The Springs Rackheath Beeston Park Wilderness/Marriots Way

Hall Plantation

2 Barb M Caught T3a R2 R2 R2 R2 R2

3 Barb F Caught T3a R3 R5 R9 R3 R3

4 Barb M Caught T3b ? R6 R6 R19 R13

5 Barb M Caught T4 R8 R8 R8 R8

9 Barb M Caught T7 R14

12 Barb F Caught T9

14 Barb M Caught T9


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15 Barb M

19 Barb F

Bat no 05/06/2009 06/06/2009 07/06/2009 08/06/2009 09/06/2009 10/06/2009 11/06/2009

Trapping locations

Beeston Park

The Springs

Spixworth - - - -

2 Barb M R2 R2 R2 R2 R2 R2 R2

3 Barb F R3 R3 R3 R3 R3 R3

4 Barb M Tag come off

5 Barb M R8 R8 R8 R8 R8 Not found R8

9 Barb M R14 R14 R14 R14 R14 R14 R14

12 Barb F R3 R3 R3 R3 R3 ? R3

14 Barb M R16 R22 R23 R16 R28 R16 R16

15 Barb M Caught T10 R21 R24 R24 R21 R30 R21?

19 Barb F Caught T12 R26 R3 R3 R3


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Table 3: Roosts of other bat species’ identified through the June session of radio-tracking Roost

number Bat

number Bat

Species Grid Reference Tree/Building Location Species

of tree dbh cm

Location of roost and additional information

1 1

BLE F

TG 1495 1562 Building Stables at Deighton Hills House

7 7, 17

Daub F

TG 25706 13788

Tree Beeston Park Oak Several areas of pot most likely cavity at c.10m on west side

10 6

Natt F

TG 2657 1475 Tree In hedge north of Church Wood

Oak 100 Hole in west stem at 8m dead branch on eastern side at 10m

11 1

BLE F

TG 14516 15479

Tree Adjacent to road at Crooked Oaks

Ash Twin stemmed tree southern leader

12 8

BLE F

TG 27416 12699

Building ? Rackheath area - somewhere near Park Farm

15 10

Nath M

TG16124 18384

Tree Millhill Plantation

Dense vegetation around tree, 2x dead trees between roost and Hall Lane

17 11

Daub M

TG 16331 18735

Tree Hall Lane - near trapping site

Pine 40 2x ivy clad pine

18 7 Daub F TG 25525 14809

Tree Fir Covert Wood

Sycamore Multi-stemmed sycamore or adjacent single stemmed sycamore no obvious features on either tree

20 7 Daub F TG 26805 14142

Tree Lady's Carr - The Springs

Alder Exact tree not determined in area of wet alder carr

25 6 Natt F TG 27400 15233

Tree Dobbs Lane Oak Mature tree on on the western side of the junction of Dobbs Lane, Sloe Lane and Swash Lane. Roosting on


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Western side of tree c 5 - 6m high splits and dead wood and small cavity on one of main leaders.

27 18 Natt F TG 24115 14991

Tree Spixworth Field

Oak 80 Stand alone tree in field in Spixworth Hall grounds. Veteran tree with woodpecker holes, roost in southern most limb at approx 15 high, neat hole in limb adjacent to delaminated stag headed branch.,

29 16 BLE F TG 2698 1411 Tree The Springs Dead 38 Dead snapped off tree 3.5m high open top with hole in west side 3m AGL. Bat in upper section of tree photo 26. 10m from water.

50 8

BLE F

Building Water tower Rackheath

- - Night roost used by brown long-eared and Natterer's bats.

Table 4: Locations where other bat species’ were caught and the location of tagged bats in roosts during day-time of June radio-tracking session

Bat no 29/05/2009 30/05/2009 31/05/2009 01/06/2009 02/06/2009 03/06/2009 04/06/2009

Trapping locations

Deighton Hills

Marriots Way

The Springs

Rackheath Beeston Park

Wilderness/Marriots Way

Hall Plantation

1 BLE F Caught T2 R1 R1 R1 R1 R11 R11

6 Natt F Caught T4 ? R10 R10 ?

7 Daub F Caught T4 R7 R20 R18 R18

8 BLE F Caught T5c R12 R12

poss Rackheath

Hall

10 Nath M Caught T9


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11 Daub M Caught T9

13 Natt M Caught T9

16 BLE F

17 Daub F

18 Natt F

Bat no 05/06/2009 06/06/2009 07/06/2009 08/06/2009 09/06/2009 10/06/2009 11/06/2009

Trapping locations

Beeston Park The Springs

Spixworth - - - -

1 BLE F Tag come off

6 Natt F R10 ? ? R25 R25 R25 R25

7 Daub F R18 R18 R18 R7 R18 R7 R7

8 BLE F Als notes R12 R12 R12 R12 No access No access

10 Nath M R15 R15 ? ? ? ? ?

11 Daub M R17 ? R3 R3 R3 R3 R3

13 Natt M not found, nr

R2 ? ? R3 R3 R3 R3

16 BLE F Caught T11 - - R29 R29 R29

17 Daub F Caught T11 R7 R7 R7 R7 R7

18 Natt F Caught T12 R27 R27 R27 R27


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August Session Table 5: Barbastelle roosts identified through the August session of radio-tracking

Roost number

Bat number

Grid Reference Tree/Building Location Species of tree

dbh cm Location of roost and additional information

31

28, 30 TG 11858 17416 Tree

Morton Plantation, Weston Golf Course

Oak

Main maternity roost tree 40+ bats in it. 40cm dbh oak, stag headed above canopy, extensive lifted bark. Most bats appeared on the south-east side of the tree.

32

29 TG 11772 17422

Tree Morton Plantation, Weston Golf Course

Sweet chestnut

50cm dbh sweet chestnut, vertical splits at 12m agl on eastern side. Ribbon on stake

33 39, 42 TG 11890 17389 Tree Morton Plantation, Weston Golf Course

Oak Flaking and raised bark throughout on trunk esp on south side. At least 6 bats emerged. Bats at 6m and 8m AGL

34 30, 40, 41

TG 11774 17325 Tree Morton Plantation, Weston Golf Course

Oak Flaking bark at 8m on dead limb on west side of tree. Flaking bark extending to 2m in length. C 13 bats seen either in tree or flying from tree whilst traping at it.

35 41, 33,

40 TG 1184 1730

Tree Morton Plantation, Weston Golf Course

Oak

Feature on SW side c 6m above ground level, split in trunk and on limb extending from c.4.5m to 7m above ground level

36 29 TG 11778 17426 Tree Morton Plantation, Weston Golf Course

Oak c65 14m AGL flaking bark on branch on north side of ree and at 9m flaking bark around snapped off branch.

37 30, 41, 40,

TG 11460 17160 Tree Oak Plantation, Weston Golf Course

Sweet chestnut

130 Horizontal split in bark on centre of trunk on the NNE side which goes all way to top from ground. Bat 10 c 10 - 15m up.


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38

sev TG 11713 16515

Tree Hardingham Hills

Dead oak? 60 Dead tree (oak?) which has lost most of its crown leaving three upward reaching limbs. The trunk has extensive areas of lifted bark which hangs loosly in places. Exposed heartwood from ground to c1.5m above ground level.

Most bats appeared to emerge from low down.

39 24 TG 1177 2463 Tree Salle Park Oak 300+ Tree has numerous features flaking bark on trunk from 0 - 5m ip but bat in snapped off dead branch on NE side at c5m AGL

40 32, 33, 34,35,36, 37, 38,

39

TG 11972 16493 Tree Scotchwood Hills

Oak 70 Split vertical limb to north with woodpecker hole and raised bark at approx 8 - 15m. Bats thought to be coming from under raised bark

41 38 TG 11921 17332

Tree Weston Golf Course

Oak 30

Flaking bark on SW side c 10m agl

42 26 TG 15424 15473 Tree Deighton Hills B and B

Oak 60 At rear of Foxwood B and B, ivy covered tree with lots of dead wood and raised bark

43 25 TG 14683 18219

Tree Upgate Common

Oak 70

Dead snagged limbs at 8m in centre

44

23 TG 03500 19500

Tree Bylaugh Wood Specific tree not found as no access possible

45

25 TG 14764 16314

Tree Deighton Hills behind Shooting School

Ash

35

Multi-stemmed tree with central leader snapped at 14m AGL and with ivy cover

46 26 TG 15064 15632 Tree

Deighton Hills Oak 60

Small dead limb with lifted bark to NW and SW.

47

21 TG173 183

Tree Night roost - Small Hope Plantation


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48

21 TG167 187

Tree Night roost either outhouse or in tree in woodland behind

49 33 TG1593 1840 Tree Night roost Oak 100 plus Live tree with ivy on trunk c.100m west of junction of Mill Land and North Lane on north side of road


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Table 6: Locations where barbastelle bats were caught and the location of tagged barbastelle bats in roosts during day-time of August radio-tracking session

Bat no 01/09/2009 02/08/2009 03/08/2009 04/08/2009 05/08/2009 06/08/2009 07/08/2009 08/08/2009

Trapping locations

rained off Hall Lane Marriots Way

Larter Farm and Cushion Common

Felthorpe Common and Swifflers Lane

Spixworth and Clees Lane/Hall Lane

The Wilderness Marriots Way - west near Felthorpe Road

21 M juv Caught T3b R3 - Felthorpe Hall

R3 - Felthorpe Hall

R3 - Felthorpe Hall

R3 - Felthorpe Hall

R3 - Felthorpe Hall

22 M adult Caught - T12 Not found Not found

23 M adult Caught T19

24 F lactating Caught T19

25 M adult Caught T19

26 M adult Caught T3a

27 M adult Caught T3a

28 F lactating

29 M adult

30 F NB adult

31 M TS

32 F juv

33 F NB adult

34 F juv

35 M juv

36 F juv

37 F NB adult

38 M juv

39 F NB adult

40 F lactating

41 M juv


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42 F lactating

Bat no 09/08/2009 10/08/2009 11/08/2009 12/08/2009 13/08/2009 14/08/2009 15/08/2009 Trapping

locations Marriots Way - Wensum Valley

Tree Roost R31 Tree roosts 33 and 34

21 M juv R3 - Felthorpe Hall

R3 - Felthorpe Hall R3 - Felthorpe Hall

Tag not moved -

22 M adult Not found Not found Not found Not found Not found Not found Not found

23 M adult Not found Not found Not found Not found Not found R44 Not found

24 F lactating Not found Not found Not found Not found R39 R39 R39

25 M adult R45 R43 faint bearing R43 R43 Not found R43

26 M adult R46 R46 R46 Tag not moved

Tag not moved

Tag not moved

Tag not moved

27 M adult Not found Not found Not found Not found Not found Not found Not found

28 F lactating Caught T20b R31 Not found R38 R38 R38 R38

29 M adult Caught T20b R32 R32 R36 R36 R36 R36

30 F NB adult Caught T20b R31 R34 R37 R37 R37 R37

31 M TS Caught T20b Not found Not found Not found Not found Not found Not found

32 F juv Caught R38 - Hardingham Hills R38 R38 R40 R40

33 F NB adult Caught Not found R35 R40 R40 R40

34 F juv Caught Not found R38 R40 R40 R38

35 M juv Caught R33 R38 R38 R38 R38

36 F juv Caught R38 - Hardingham Hills R38 R38 R40 R40

37 F NB adult Caught

R38 - Hardingham Hills R38 R40 R40 R40

38 M juv Caught R34 R38 R38 R40 R41

39 F NB adult Caught R33 R38 R40 R40 R40

40 F lactating Caught R35 R40 R37 R37


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41 M juv Caught R35 R40 R37 R37

42 F lactating Caught R38 R40 R37 R37


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Appendix 5: Detailed descriptions of the activities of each radio-tracked bat: June

Female barbastelle bats Bat 3

This pregnant female barbastelle bat was caught in a harp trap with an acoustic lure at Marriott’s Way to the north-west of the Freeland Corner carpark (T3a) at 03:10hrs on 31st May 2009. During the following daytime it was tracked back to the area of Hall Plantation (R3) within the grounds of Felthorpe Hall where access was denied. The following day it was found roosting in tree R5 at the northern end of Swannington Bottom Plantation. Attempts were made to trap bats from this tree roost on 1st June 2009 and 4th June without success. At least three bats were seen emerging from the tree, including the tagged animal.

This bat was recorded foraging widely. On 31st May the bat left its roosting area flying to the east and then south at 21:35hrs some 28 minutes after sunset. It was then recorded south of Felthorpe in Steward’s Plantation towards Marriott’s Way where it was recorded foraging up and down the disused railway line.

On 1st June the bat was recorded moving from tree roost R5 at the northern end of Swannington Bottom Plantation to the south and then headed west. The bat foraged widely. It appeared to start foraging in the eastern part of Swannington Bottom and the woodlands around Felthorpe Hall then it appeared to move north at 22:51 hrs and was not found again until 23:14hrs when it was recorded flying along Marriott’s Way from the south-east. It proceeded to forage widely being recorded in Walsingham Plantation at 23:29hrs then foraging over the fields south of Marriott’s Way flying north into Houghton Plantation at 00:18hrs when it was lost again. It was then recorded to the north of Marriott’s Way at 00:46hrs and continued to forage along Marriott’s Way and the paddocks either side of the disused railway line until 02:44hrs when it headed south-east towards Taverham. It then moved north again to Steward’s Plantation and Swannington Bottom Plantation at 3:04hrs. It was found back in the Felthorpe Hall roost area R3 shortly afterwards.

On 2nd June bat 3 was not recorded during the radio-tracking until the end at dawn when it returned to Hall Plantation to roost (R3). The areas where the proposed road is located were concentrated on for surveying with the area to the west as far as Attlebridge and north as far as Haveringland searched.

On 3rd June the temperature dropped to 5oC at 01:00hrs. Bat 3 was recorded in the woodlands at Felthorpe and appeared to remain in the vicinity of Hall Plantation until 00:45hrs when the surveyor left the area. On 4th June it remained in woodlands at Felthorpe, it appeared from the vantage point on Hall Lane that it did fly around inside the woodlands for a short period between 22:37hrs and 22:41hrs. On 5th June it was not recorded in the vicinity of the proposed scheme. It was recorded in the area of Hall Plantation until 22:00hrs and was not recorded again until 02:12hrs when it was found to be roosting in the area of Hall Plantation (R3). On 6th June several bearings were taken at points during the evening and it was again recorded in the Felthorpe Woods area and was not recorded flying in the vicinity of the proposed NDR.

Bat 12

This female bat was caught along Hall Lane (T9) on 4th June 2009 in a harp trap. It was tracked back to the woodlands around Felthorpe Hall (R3) where no access was possible.

For the majority of time that the bat was tracked, the bat was found using the woodlands around Felthorpe Hall, including Millhill plantation, the field system to the west of Mill Lane, Swannington Bottom Plantation and Gilham’s Heath Plantation. No recordings were made of this bat in the vicinity of the road scheme. On 5th June regular bearings were taken of this bat in the area described above. At 01:00hrs no tagged bats were present in the Swannington Bottom area and bat 12 had moved back to Millhill Plantation. On 6th June the bat was recorded in the same areas and was back in the woodland around Felthorpe Hall at 01:00hrs. On 7th and 8th June the majority of tracking was being undertaken at the eastern part of the scheme. Checks from 02:00hrs until dawn in the west recorded bat 12 foraging in the Swannington Bottom area as


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before. On 9th June it was recorded by single surveyors with no joint bearings in the Swannington Bottom area and the woodlands around Felthorpe Hall.

Bat 19

This was the last barbastelle bat caught during the June tracking session. This was a female bat caught at Spixworth at trapping position T12 at 02:30hrs on the morning of 8th June, the last trapping night. Only four harp traps were set at this site as there was hard, persistent rain at sunset. The harp trap bags (to catch any bats that flew into the trap) were put on the harp traps once the rain had ceased. During the day of 8th June it was tracked to roost R26 in Lawn Plantation just south of Beeston Lane. The tree was not suitable for trapping at, but a count of bats that evening recorded possibly three bats emerging between 21:55hrs and 21:58hrs, some 40 minutes after sunset.

Bat 19 was recorded flying due north immediately after it emerged towards Spixworth Plantation and then back towards the roost area. It was tracked that evening foraging primarily along Spixworth plantation and along field boundaries in this area. It crossed over the B1150 North Walsham Road into Beeston Park. The contours of the land in this area are such that joint bearings were difficult to take. Part of Spixworth plantation is on a ridge and it was difficult even with three surveyors to regularly get good fixes. The signal from the radio-tag would frequently be loud then quiet as it flew on the far side of the ridge. The bat appeared to be static for a short period at 0:22hrs when there was light rain. It was considered to possibly be in buildings in Red Hall Farm. The bat moved rapidly, for example between 1:06hrs and 1:20hrs it was foraging to the east of its roost tree R26 then flew rapidly west to the south of Beeston Lane across Buxton Road and north towards Quaker Lane, north to Spixworth Hall. The bat then flew west and back east to the north of Spixworth Hall before heading south to Spixworth Lodge. It then moved south again and appeared static at 01:47hrs. The bat was tracked from 21:56hrs until 03:00hrs when it suddenly disappeared in a NNE direction. The following day it was not found until early evening when it was recorded at Felthorpe Hall woodlands (R3) some 8.2km from where it had been trapped at Spixworth.

On 9th June the bat was recorded foraging in the woodlands at Felthorpe Hall from 22:00hrs, then it disappeared in an eastward direction at 22:51hrs just over 1.5hrs after sunset. It was then recorded by surveyors in the east at Spixworth at 22:55hrs where it proceeded to forage in the same locations as the previous night, including Spixworth plantation, the trips of woodland at Spixworth Hall and over open fields either side of Quaker Lane.

On 10th June it was tracked from Felthorpe Hall woodlands (R3), when surveyors were positioned in locations to try and determine the route from Felthorpe to Spixworth. It was recorded foraging in the woodlands around Felthorpe, including Cushion’s Common Plantation and Hall Plantation until 22:10hrs some 52 minutes after sunset when it moved east and was lost by the surveyors. At 22:44hrs the surveyor at Spixworth began to hear the bat in a north-westerly direction. In the intervening time the bat was lost. It then continued to forage in the same areas as the previous two nights. Surveying ceased on the final night of tracking at 01:00hrs. It was recorded back at its roost at Felthorpe (R3) the following daytime.

Male Barbastelle bats Bat 2

This bat, a male, was caught in a mist net along Marriott’s Way (T3a) to the north-west of Freeland Corner carpark at 02:50hrs on 31st May 2009. Over the course of the radio-tracking it was found roosting inside one of a number of old chicken sheds at Felthorpe (R2). No access was permitted into the chicken sheds.

On 31st May 2009 the bat was recorded in its roost (R2) at 21:52hrs, some 45 minutes after sunset, then flying in a westerly direction from the roost at 22:02hrs. It was initially recorded foraging south of Felthorpe, although no joint bearings were successful. It then moved to the east of Felthorpe with joint bearings taken as far east as Horsford at 01:36hrs. It was recorded foraging along Marriott’s Way to the west of the Freeland Corner car park and had returned to its roost (R2) by 03:42hrs, some 1hr 8 minutes before sunrise.


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On 1st June the bat was again recorded to the west of Felthorpe in Gilham’s Heath Plantation early in the evening and was lost until it was again recorded to the east in Felthorpe Common between Felthorpe and Horsford. It was recorded with a joint bearing between Marriott’s Way and Drayton Drewery near the line of the proposed NDR at 01:46hrs. It was back at its roost (R2) by 03.42hrs.

On 2nd June the bat was recorded foraging around the proposed NDR more than on the previous nights being recorded flying up and down Marriott’s way and around the fields between Marriott’s Way and Reepham Road. The bat was moving rapidly between areas and was only recorded intermittently at times.

On 3rd June, the evening when the temperatures dropped more significantly, the bat emerged and flew in a westerly direction as it had previously been recorded. Between 22:00hrs and 22:30hrs none of the tagged bats could be found in the Felthorpe area with the exception of bat 3 in Felthorpe woods. Bat 2 then appeared along Marriott’s Way and the fields either side of the disused railway line from 23:40hrs. It foraged until approximately 01:25hrs moving rapidly with the radio signal changing in intensity. At 01:30hrs no tagged bats were flying in the vicinity of the proposed NDR and bat 2 was back at its roost (R2) at 01:45hrs.

Over the evenings of 5th and 6th June, further records were made of this bat through Foxburrow Plantation and flying as far south-west as Attlebridge Hills, through Swannington Bottom Plantation as well as flying within the woodlands around Felthorpe Hall.

Bat 4

This male barbastelle was caught in a harp trap on Marriott’s Way to the south-east of Freeland Corner carpark (T3b) on 31st May 2009 at 03:45hrs. The tag was determined as having been dislodged from the bat by 5th June 2009. The roost for this bat was not found on the first daytime search during 31st May but on 1st and 2nd June it was found in a tree roost (R6) north of Deighton Hills in Foxburrow Plantation. It is possible that it had been roosting in this area the previous day as the sand pit may have obscured the signal. It was then recorded in tree roost R19 on 3rd June and also in tree roost R13 half way down School Lane on 4th June 2009.

On 31st May it was recorded in Big Plantation at 22:12hrs. It was then recorded in the Deighton Hills area. The signals was intermittent making it impossible to take any joint bearings and it is considered likely that the signal was being lost by the bat dropping into the sand pit area. It then appeared to forage back and forth between Marriott’s Way and Taverham before flying rapidly east where it was then possibly static in a night roost near Littlewood House (R4) but had moved by the time the surveyor managed to get closer to the area. It was then recorded by the surveyors flying north up School Road to the east of Thorpe Marriot after which the bat was lost. It was later recorded flying from the east up Marriott’s Way as it passes between Thorpe Marriot and Taverham.

On 1st June the bat was roosting in roost R6 in Deighton Hills. The bat was recorded by a single surveyor as likely being in the woodlands consisting of Big Plantation and Steward’s Plantation. It was then recorded flying over the fields to the south of and along Marriott’s Way until 23:53hrs. At 00:30hrs it was recorded on a south-easterly bearing from The Springs, the only record of this bat this far east. The signal was very weak and the direction of the bearing would suggest the bat may have been in the Rackheath area. At this time the surveyors in the west of the site were not recording bat 4. The surveyors were not able to get more accurate fixes as access into the Rackheath area was not allowed. From triangulation point 4.3 at 23:53hrs to the Rackheath area at 00:30hrs, gives a distance travelled of 11.5km over 37 minutes or an average, straight line speed of nearly 19kmh. The Rackheath area is nearly 13km from the roost of the previous day R6. It was then recorded at 01:40hrs and 01:51hrs back at Marriott’s Way south-east of Breck Lane. It was still in this general area at 03:00hrs and finally at 03:28hrs when it was recorded to the south-east of Freeland Corner on Marriott’s Way.

On 2nd June after roosting in R6 the bat was recorded south of the Fakenham Road at approximately 21:18hrs some nine minutes after sunset. It was then recorded flying along Marriott’s Way and over the fields to the north and south. It was also recorded to the east of Marriott’s Way south-east of Littlewood House, an area which is enclosed by the residential areas of Taverham, Thorpe Marriot and Drayton.


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The bat was recorded roosting in roost R19 in Walsingham Plantation during the daytime on 3rd June 2009. It was not recorded by the surveyors that evening as they were concentrating on data collection for other bats. The temperatures were very cold that evening and surveying was called off early. The following day, 4th June, the bat was recorded in tree roost R13 to the east of Thorpe Marriott on School Lane. An emergence survey of tree roost R13 was undertaken that evening. No bats were observed emerging out of the tree and bat 4 was not observed emerging. Regular checks of the tree through the night found the bat/tag present.

On 5th June the bat was recorded due east of the Freeland Corner car park at 23.33hrs towards Drayton Drewery/Felthorpe Common it was not recorded again in the vicinity of the road scheme until 02:12hrs when it was recorded in the Littlewood Hall area. It was then recorded north-east of School Lane before being recorded back in roost R13 at 02:55hrs.

After this point the tag was not found to move from the tree and it is considered most likely that the tag had been dislodged from the bat in the roost.

Bat 5

This male barbastelle was caught in a harp trap on 31st May 2009 at 23:05hrs within woodland known as The Springs (trapping location T4). The acoustic lure was in operation at the harp trap. The animal was in good condition with prominent ear buttons.

This bat was found roosting in a tree identified as R8 near Wroxham Hall on 1st June 2009, some 2717m to the north-east of its trapping location at The Springs (T4). Due to access restrictions the roost site was only visited on foot on the first occasion that it was found. Thereafter the bat was confirmed roosting in R8, or very close by to that roost, during the daytime by bearings taken from Petre Lodge. This was confirmed on every day from 1st June 2009 through 11th June 2009, save for 10th June 2009 when the bat was not found.

On the night of 1st June 2009 the bat was not detected in the vicinity of the route of the scheme. It was first tracked on 2nd June at 23:34hrs when it was located on the eastern margin of Church Wood, approximately 200m north-east of where it had been caught. From 23:41hrs until 00:16hrs the bat was recorded foraging in and around Church Wood. Thereafter the bat disappeared on a north-easterly bearing and was reacquired at 00:25hrs to the east of Sloe Lane. The bat was recorded foraging in four fields bordered by Sloe Lane, Swash Lane and the A1151 until 00:45hrs. During this period several brief forays in a north-easterly direction were determined but after disappearing the bat returned to the same system of fields after only one to two minutes.

Bat 5 was not tracked on 3rd , 5th or 9th June.

On the night of 4th June the bat was first acquired at 23:12hrs to the south-east of the junction of Sloe Lane and Swash Lane, placing it in the same four fields as identified on 2nd June. The bat was monitored foraging constantly in this area until 01:15hrs, when it disappeared on a south-easterly bearing. One of the triangulation points placed the bat to the east of the A1151 on the north side of Muck Lane.

On the night of 6th June the bat was first acquired at 23:44hrs due west of Stone Hill from the A1151. It was then tracked across to the east of the A1151 to the fields north of Muck Lane.

On the night of 7th June the bat was recorded foraging over the northern lake of The Springs at 00:49hrs.

On the night of 8th June the bat was acquired at 23:44hrs to the east of the school at Stone Hill, to the east of the A1151. At 23:55hrs the bat moved to the south of the school and was tracked west over the A1151 to Stone Hill then north into the fields adjacent to Sloe Lane. The bat remained foraging in these fields until 00:42hrs when it disappeared in a westerly direction along a hedgerow towards The Springs.

On the night of 10th June 2009 the bat was confirmed foraging up and down the hedgerows to the east of Sloe Lane at 23:25hrs.

Bat 9


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This bat was caught on 3rd June 2009 along Marriott’s Way in a harp trap under the bridge where Breck Farm Lane crosses the disused railway line (T7). It roosted at tree roost R14 every day after it was caught which lies in the garden of a house in the Wensum valley. The householder allowed access to find the tree on the first day and after this point it was checked daily from the road but without entering the garden. It was not considered to have moved roosts during this time as a clear view through into the garden was possible and the signal given by the tag strong. For the first nights after being radio-tagged the bat was recorded rarely in the vicinity of the road scheme. Regular checks of the Wensum found it either in its roost or foraging along the river valley.

On 4th June the bat left the roost (R14) at 22:04hrs some 53 minutes after sunset. It appeared to forage over the Wensum valley before heading north-east towards Marriott’s Way where it appeared to fly around for only half an hour before returning to its roost. On the 5th June, it was briefly recorded along the line of Marriott’s Way at 23:35hrs but was back in its roost (R14) by 02:34hrs.

On the night of 6th June 2009 bat 9 was not recorded in the vicinity of the proposed NDR. Checks between 00:40hrs and 00:50hrs recorded the bat flying to the north and south of Ringland Lane. No tracking of bats in the west of the site was undertaken on 7th June. There was heavy rain in the early evening.

On 9th June the bat was recorded in the vicinity of the proposed NDR at 23:06hrs along Marriott’s Way south of Thorpe Marriott. Within four minutes it had travelled north-east, north of Reepham Road towards The Homestead. Between 00:50hrs and 1:17hrs it was recorded foraging over the field to the east of Thorpe Marriott. Light rain occurred at 02:30hrs.

On 10th June the bat was again recorded foraging over the field to the east of School Lane and over fields north of Reepham Road between 23:27hrs and 00:36hrs before returning to its roost (R14) at approximately 02:00hrs.

Bat 14

This was a male barbastelle bat caught along Hall Plantation north of Felthorpe (T9) on 4th June 2009. It appeared to move roosts regularly and was recorded in four different tree roosts over seven days of tracking all to the north of the Felthorpe woods complex – R16 near White House Farm, and R22, R23 and R28 within Long Covert. Single bearings were taken of the bat all north of Felthorpe Road on 5th and 6th June and it was not recorded in the vicinity of the proposed NDR.

Bat 15

This male bat was caught in a harp trap at Coopersholes Plantation (T10) on the Beeston Estate on 5th June 2009 at 00:45hrs. It was noted as having small ear buttons. There was some difficulty in tracking this bat as access was not allowed into the Rackheath area.

On the following day, 6th June 2009, it was tracked to a tree roost (R21) within Tollshill Wood approximately 408m from where it was caught. An emergence survey was undertaken of the tree that evening. No bats were seen emerging from the roost tree. The bat left the tree at 21:54hrs, started out on a south-easterly bearing, and then swung north. Two barbastelle passes were detected near the roost tree at 21:59hrs but no bats were seen emerging. At 22:07hrs bat 15 was tracked foraging in a clearing near to the roost tree and it remained active in Tollshill Wood until 22:34hrs when it disappeared on a northerly bearing and left the roosting area completely. At 02:48hrs on 7th June 2009 the bat was relocated in the vicinity of The Springs. At 03:05hrs the bat was tracked south over the A1151 into Tollshill Wood. At 03:11hrs the bat was triangulated over the Sprowston Manor golf course. For the next 40 minutes the bat was tracked foraging over the golf course and as far east as Lower Blacksmith Wood within Rackheath Park. At 03:37hrs the bat was confirmed making a brief foray on the north side of the A1151 near Sprowston Lodge. At 03:51hrs the bat was confirmed on a bearing taking it back towards the roost tree R21.

On 7th June 2009 the bat was confirmed roosting in a different tree within Tollshill Wood (R24), some 136m from R21. At 21:41hrs the bat was tracked away from the roost tree (R24). From 21:41hrs until 22:41hrs the bat was tracked foraging over the Sprowston Manor golf course apparently using the wooded strips between the golf course and Rackheath Park to the east. The bat was recorded to the south-east in the direction of White House Farm with occasional forays in


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a south-westerly direction over the golf course towards Arnup’s Belt. At 22:41hrs the bat disappeared suddenly on a north-easterly bearing. At 23:03hrs it was recorded faintly on an easterly bearing placing the bat somewhere along Boathouse Carr to the north of Wroxham Hall, some 4.2km north-east of Tollshill Wood. At 00:20hrs the bat was confirmed foraging once more on Sprowston Manor golf course. At 02:22hrs the bat was tracked from the direction of Beeston Hall down along Coopersholes Plantation then back over the A1151 into Tollshill Wood. Between 02:46hrs and 03.07hrs the bat was confirmed static near roost R21.

On 8th June 2009 the bat was confirmed roosting in R24. The bat was confirmed as static on a bearing consistent with roost R24 from sunset until 01:00hrs. At 01:07hrs the bat was confirmed flying over the Sprowston Manor golf course on a south-easterly bearing. At 01:12hrs the bat was tracked back into Tollshill Wood where it became static.

On 9th June 2009 the bat was confirmed roosting in R21. This bat was not tracked on this night.

On 10th June 2009 the bat was confirmed roosting in R30. At 23:02hrs the bat was confirmed foraging within Tollshill Wood. The bat was tracked until 23:10hrs when rapid forays were made over the Sprowston Manor golf course to the east and south as far as White House Farm. From 00:07hrs through 00:34hrs the bat was tracked foraging within Tollshill Wood. At 00:32hrs a brief foray north over the A1151 was recorded towards Sprowston Lodge and a minute later the bat was tracked south into the golf course.

On 11th June 2009 the bat was confirmed roosting in Tollshill Wood in roost R21.

Other bat species

Brown long-eared bats Bat 1

Bat 1 was a female brown long-eared bat caught in Deighton Hills on the first night of trapping. It was tracked back to the stable block at Deighton Hills House on the following day. The building had a trussed roof construction, usually thought to be unsuitable for long-eared bats due to the resulting cluttered roof void, however, it was a single storey building open to the roof which made the area more open. Up to six long-eared bats could be seen roosting in the building tucked in along the ridge beam in the one end where there was a small room with a ceiling enclosing a roof void. An emergence check of the building recorded 13 bats on the 30th May 09. It was later recorded in a tree near Crooked Oaks but the tag was then recovered from a hollow in the tree.

The bat was not found in the area around the roost later in the evening. It was recorded further west in Deighton Hills woodland. It was recorded back in the stable block the following day and every day until 3rd June when it was found in a tree at Crooked Hills, some 10m from the edge of the Fakenham Road, which appears to be on the line of the proposed NDR scheme

On 5th June it was recorded foraging in the lower slopes of Deighton Hills within the woodland and along the tree line of Crooked Oaks and the southern edge of the Attelbridge Hills woodland. It emerged from its roost at 22.06hrs but returned to the tree roost at 22.41hrs. After observing for a further hour the surveyors left tracking this bat and concentrated on other active bats. The tag fell off the bat and was recovered from the tree in Crooked Oaks.

Bat 8

This pregnant female bat was caught in an old water tower on the edge of Fir Covert and Pig’s Park near Rackheath. This building had been identified as a possible night roost during the site walkover to look for suitable trapping sites. Checks of the building during the transect surveys revealed use by a small numbers of bats (2 – 3). The brown long-eared bats caught at the entrance of the water tower were fur-trimmed to allow re-captures to be recognised. No recaptures were found. A total of 20 brown long-eared bats and a single Natterer’s bat were caught at the water tower.

Access into the grounds of Rackheath Hall was limited, however, it was determined that the tagged bat was roosting towards Park Farm in Rackheath.


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On 6th June the bat appeared static until 22.18hrs when it was recorded between Rackheath Hall and Fir Covert. From 22.28hrs and 23.01hrs it appeared to return to a roost or night roost and remained static during this period. After another brief period flying at 23.02hrs it was then recorded static again from 23.04hrs until 23.28hrs. The water tower was checked at 23.28hrs and two long-eared bats were observed, neither were tagged.

On 7th June bat 8 was recorded within the Rackheath area but access which was already limited was completely withdrawn and detailed radio-tracking was not possible.

Bat 16

This was a lactating female brown long-eared bat caught at The Springs on 6th June. Unfortunately after being tagged the bat would not fly even though it was warm enough and had been processed rapidly. It was placed on a tree, a practice which allows the bat to climb up the tree and fly off when ready. It stayed in the tree and did not fly off. Although relatively high in the tree, the surveyors climbed the tree and re-caught the bat which had cooled down. They were able to warm it more over hot water from a flask and it flew off. The bat remained in the woodlands foraging each evening and was recorded using a tree roost within the woodland (R29).

Natterer’s bats Bat 6

This was a female Natterer’s bat caught at The Springs on 31st May 2009. The tag for this bat kept shifting frequency regularly and it was noted that the speed of the beeps emitted from the tag were often irregular, sometimes going faster then disappearing which may be why it was difficult to find on certain days.

The roost was not found for this bat the day after it had been tagged. However, on the night of 1st June, bat 6 was recorded on bearings between The Springs and Sprowston Wood between 00.45 hrs and 02.10hrs foraging around the southern, western and northern edge of the Springs and the lake closest to the sewage works between 02.30hrs and 03.07hrs.

On 2nd June it was found in a day roost in R10, a tree in a hedgerow to the north of Church Wood, at The Springs. During the night of 2nd June the bat was recorded at 23.39hrs between /Beeston Lane and The Springs. It appeared to forage here and in The Springs until midnight.

No night time radio-tracking on the east side undertaken on 3rd June. It was found during the day roosting in R10.

During the day of 4th June, bat 6 was not found. On night of 4th June the bat was recorded foraging at The Springs from 1.10hrs to 3.00hrs. It then left The Springs and was recorded back in roost R10 by 03.21hrs.

No night time radio-tracking on the east side undertaken on 5th June. It was found during the day roosting in R10. On 6th June a second session of trapping was undertaken at The Springs. From 23.45hrs until 03.15hrs bat 6 was present foraging in The Springs. No daytime roost was found for the 6th or 7th June.

On 7th June it was recorded again in The Springs from when it was first checked at 22.53hrs until 23.38hrs. From 00.37hrs until 1.11hrs it was recorded foraging around the northern lake of The Springs and within Church Wood and Waterlowe.

On 8th June it was found in a new tree roost, R25, a large oak on the corner of Dobbs Lane. It used this tree roost every day until the end of the radio-tracking.

On 10th June, it was again recorded in the Springs during spot checks to see where it was throughout the night.

Bat 13

This was a male Natterer’s bat caught on Hall Lane on 4th June. After being released it remained in the Millhill Plantation area. On 5th June it was acquired by a surveyor on Church Lane but not by a second surveyor on Hall Lane north of Felthorpe Hall. It was recorded south of Church Lane in an area which appeared to be teeming with bats adjacent to a public footpath. The ground


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appeared to be rank grassland with ruderal vegetation and scrub lined by blackthorn hedges or Leylandii. The bat was recorded in this area shortly after sunset at 21.50hrs. From 0.26hrs to 0.46hrs it was recorded foraging in Swannington Bottom before flying rapidly at 1.29hrs straight down Mill Lane and into a night roost tree R49 alongside the road where it remained until 2.04hrs when it flew rapidly north.

On 7th and 8th June its location was monitored and was recorded within /Felthorpe Hall woodlands and Millhill Plantation.

Bat 18

This was a pregnant Natterer’s bat caught in the grounds of Spixworth Hall on 7th June. It was tracked back to a large oak tree in the middle of a large arable field (R27) and it used this tree for the remainder of the radio-tracking.

On the night of 9th June it was recorded moving from the roost at approximately 22.26hrs. It was initially recorded foraging around Spixworth Lodge and its associated woodlands. It was then recorded east of Buxton Road and was found to be foraging along Spixworth Plantation, the hedgerow along Buxton Road and in the field north of Spixworth Plantation between 23.27hrs and 23.49hrs. It then flew back over Buxton Road and was recorded foraging in the woodlands around the Spixworth estate.

Roost R27 was counted out on 9th June and 15 bats were recorded emerging. The first bat emerged at 21.51hrs the last at 22.34hrs.

Daubenton’s bats Bat 7

Bat 7 was a female Daubenton’s bat caught at The Springs on 31st May. The bat was found in tree roost R7 just south of Beeston Hall. The following day it was found in one of a number of alder trees R20 in Lady’s Carr adjacent to The Springs. It then moved day roost to Fir Covert Plantation between 3rd and 7th June and again on 9th June using R7 south of Beeston Hall on 8th, 10th and 11th June. It was not recorded often around The Springs during the night time tracking. On 9th June it was tracked from its roost at Fir Covert at 22:41hrs foraging up and down on the south and west side of the woodland block until 22:53hrs when it rapidly flew initially in a south-easterly direction, then appeared to round the southern edge of Fir Covert before heading off in a north-easterly direction. It was then recorded south of Dobb’s Lane foraging over the ponds and linear strip of woodland to the north and west of Church Wood. It remained in this area until 23:10hrs when it disappeared and was not reacquired. It is thought to have headed further north.

On 10th June the bat was first acquired at 22:21hrs, some 1hr 5 minutes after sunset, at point 2A on Beeston Lane. The bat approached the surveyor from the south-east along the line of Beeston Lane, flew past the surveyor and headed east towards Lady’s Carr and Church Wood. During the day this bat had been confirmed roosting within tree roost R7 in Beeston Park. Given the time and the direction in which this bat was acquired it is considered likely that the bat had left the roost heading south in the direction of Foxburrow Plantation or Coopersholes Plantation then eastwards towards Beeston Lane as it passes Sprowston Wood where it was acquired by the surveyor.

Bat 11

This was a male Daubenton’s bat caught on Hall Lane on 4th June. It was not recorded in the vicinity of the proposed NDR scheme or around Felthorpe during the evening tracking but bearings were taking during the daytime recording it in the Felthorpe Hall area. The signal was rather weak and difficult to pinpoint from the distant positions where access was allowed.

Bat 17

This was a female Daubenton’s bat caught at The Springs on 6th June. The bat was found roosting in roost R7 south of Beeston Hall every day with bat 7 which had also been caught at The Springs but on 31st May.

On 7th June the bat was recorded foraging in The Springs and along the field boundaries to the north and east of Church Wood. It was first acquired over the two large lakes at the northern end


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of The Springs at 21:48hrs and it was recorded regularly in this area through until 23:56hrs. The bat was reconfirmed foraging over the southern of the two northern lakes at The Springs between 02:19hrs and 02:24hrs.

On the night of 9th June the bat was recorded moving from the roost at 22.07hrs some 51 minutes after sunset. From the roost it flew north and was found foraging at The Springs from 22.13hrs when it was close tracked around the north-east and north-west corners of the northern lake until 01:00hrs when it moved to the southern lake. It was then recorded foraging in Church Wood between 01.13hrs and 01.34hrs and then around then southern lake of The Springs between 01.40hrs and 01.46hrs. It later moved to the northern part of The Springs until 02.17hrs.

Nathusius pipistrelle This was a male Nathusius pipistrelle bat caught on Hall Lane on 4th June. After being released it was recorded within Millhill Plantation. At 04.20hrs it was recorded static possibly in a dead pine tree visible from Hall Lane (R15) and it was recorded using this tree the following day.

On 5th June the location of the bat was monitored during the night and was recorded within Millhill Plantation throughout the night.

On 6th June it was recorded at Millhill Plantation but it was not recorded after midnight. After this time the bat was not recorded during daytime or night time tracking.


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Appendix 6: Detailed descriptions of the activities of each radio-tracked bat: August

Female Barbastelle Bats Bat 24

This was a lactating female barbastelle caught at T19 on 8th August 2009 just before midnight. The trapping location was on Marriott’s Way to the east of Attlebridge and west of where Felthorpe Road crosses the disused railway line. Despite extensive searching for it during the daytime it was not located until 13th August 2009 when it was tracked to tree roost R39. This roost is some 7.8km north from the trapping location on Marriott’s Way.

After being released it was not recorded in the vicinity of the proposed NDR until it was recorded at 00:38hrs on 12th August at point 7O, at the junction of Reepham Road and Felthorpe Road, heading east down Marriott’s Way. The bat continued eastwards and was confirmed by a second surveyor on Marriott’s Way as far as east as the mid-point between Freeland Corner and Breck Farm Lane at 00:55hrs. At 00:58hrs the bat was confirmed directly over the first surveyor at point 5E on the western side of Big Plantation, near to the junction of Reepham Road and Felthorpe Road (point 7O). The bat then headed south towards Marriott’s Way. It was acquired by the second surveyor at 01:01hrs on a bearing placing the bat near Freeland Corner. At 01:11hrs the bat was tracked on a south-westerly bearing from Marriott’s Way placing the bat between Deighton Hills and Foxburrow Plantation. At 01:24hrs it was reacquired from the junction of Reepham Road and Felthorpe Road (point 7O) on a NNW bearing. It was acquired a final time at 01:29hrs further west along the Reepham Road (point 6E) on a northerly bearing placing the bat near Swannington.

On 12th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 22:48hrs from Freeland Corner on a NNE bearing and was tracked back to roost R39 shortly after midnight. The approximate route is shown in the Figure relating to this bat in Appendix 1, this being a mixture of single bearing and car aerial acquisitions gained by five surveyors. By taking a rough line between these acquisitions, the bat is considered to have travelled at least 13.2km in this time. The bat moved quickly to a more north-westerly bearing at 22:49hrs then disappeared. The bat was next located at 23:05hrs by a surveyor stationed at point 6B on the Felthorpe Road. The bat approached the surveyor from the north-east. The bat travelled rapidly in a westerly direction and was determined at triangulation point 24.1 at 23:05hrs in Alderford Common. The bat was then tracked on to the north-west of Alderford Common with a further triangulation point 24.2 determined at 23:17hrs. Shortly afterwards at 23:18hrs the bat disappeared on a westerly bearing. At 23:26hrs the bat was found on a south-westerly bearing from point 7S, placing the bat in the vicinity of Big Covert to the west of Alderford. At 23:35hrs the bat was acquired on the car aerial on Springwell Lane at point 7U and at 23:42hrs was found further west, on a southerly bearing from point 7W. At 23:57hrs the bat was relocated on the car aerial at point 7X. Shortly after midnight the bat was found within the grounds of Salle Park The bat was thought to be static for five minutes between 00:04hrs and 00:09hrs during which it time the bat was presumably suckling its young. At 00:11hrs the bat left the grounds of Salle Park heading south. The bat was tracked moving rapidly from east to west possibly along the east-west axis of Marriott’s Way to the south of Salle Park. It then faded further south and disappeared at 00:18hrs. At 01:07hrs and 01:11hrs the bat was acquired faintly on northerly bearings from point 1B near Attlebridge placing the bat roughly in the vicinity of Alderford Common and/or Swannington, suggesting that a subsequent circuit had been made by the bat south towards Alderford Common. The bat had been caught on 8th August 2009 along the section of Marriotts Way to the east of Attlebridge, again suggesting that a large circuit had been made south from the maternity tree roost within Salle Park.

During the daytime of 13th August 2009 the bat was tracked to tree roost R39 within the grounds of Salle Park. This roost is in the approximate location where the bat had been found to be static for approximately five minutes shortly after midnight the night before. This roost is 7.8km from where the bat was caught at T19 on Marriott’s Way. An emergence survey was undertaken of roost R39 and ten bats, including bat 24, were recorded emerging from the tree.

Bat 24 emerged at 21:10hrs and flew into the woodland south of the roost tree still within the grounds of Salle Park. From 21:35hrs through 21:55hrs the bat foraged in the southern half of


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Salle Park and further to the south and south-east of Salle Park. At 21:55hrs the signal was lost but the bat was reacquired at 22:00hrs to the north-west of Cawston Road. From 22:07hrs the bat was found foraging up and down Wood Dalling Road, particularly the western side, until 22:40hrs when it returned to roost R39. The bat was confirmed static at roost R39 at 22:46hrs. It left roost R39 at 22:56hrs and foraged to the north-east and east of the roost within the grounds of Salle Park until 23:23hrs when it returned to roost R39. The bat left the roost at 23:29hrs and was tracked west across Cawston Road. It then followed a track due west over a field to Wood Dalling Road and at 23:41hrs it was confirmed foraging up and down the line of that road. Occasional forays further west were made during this time. At 00:20hrs the bat returned east across Cawston Road. It was confirmed foraging close to the roost R39 at 00:36hrs and it was confirmed to be still present in the grounds of Salle Park at 01:45hrs.

Weston Golf Course cluster Bat 28

This adult lactating female bat was caught at 21:00hrs on 9th August 2009 at trapping location 20b where Marriott’s Way bridges the Wensum. After the bat had been released, it appeared initially to be foraging up and down the Wensum west of Attlebridge for a short period around midnight. It was then recorded at 01:58hrs to the south-east of where it had been caught in the Wensum flood plain to the south of the Fakenham Road south of Attlebridge Hills. It was then recorded north of the Fakenham Road in Deighton Hills. The bat was moving rapidly and the signal kept getting strong and weak suggesting that the bat was disappearing over the ridge from the surveyors. Despite surveyors moving to get better fixes, no joint bearing in this area was achieved before it moved back over the Wensum floodplain. It is thought from the data analysis that the bat may have crossed over the road east of Crooked Trees then moved around the area of Deighton Hills to forage.

The bat was tracked during the following daytime 10th August 2009 to tree roost R31 in Morton Plantation on Weston Park Golf Course, the first of the major tree roosts recorded in this area. It was not recorded during the daytime tracking on 11th August but was recorded in tree roost R38 in Hardingham Hills every day from 12th to 15th August inclusive.

On 10th August at 22:41hrs it was recorded in Mileplain Plantation south of Marriott’s Way and north of Attlebridge Hills. It was recorded as possibly being static, the bearings being taken during a period of heavy rain. It was then recorded to the south of Fakenham Road. Occasional bearings were taken to check it was to the south and it was scanned for regularly after that point but was not recorded north of the Fakenham Road again during the night. It was back in the vicinity of Scotchwood hills at 04:54hrs.

On 11th August it was first recorded at 21:08hrs roughly along the line of the Fakenham Road. The other surveyors were unable to get suitable bearings to take a joint fix of the bat. Shortly afterwards it was recorded south of Fakenham Road. It was regularly recorded south and west of Attlebridge and was recorded within the Wensum flood plain to the north-west of Attlebridge at 22:33hrs. It remained south of the Fakenham Road but was then recorded heading in a north-westerly direction from Attlebridge. It was not heard from between midnight and 00:32hrs when it returned to Morton Hall. There was then a second period when it was not recorded around Attlebridge and not east towards the proposed NDR. On searching for the bat it was recorded further south, to the west of Ringland and was then recorded east of Morton Hall, south of Morton Hall and then in the golf course west of the main tree roosts.

On 12th August the bat was recorded foraging over the Wensum flood plain from 20:49hrs to 22:31hrs. Bearings of other bats were then being concentrated on and no further joint bearings were taken on this bat until 03:15hrs, however, its location was being monitored throughout and it was consistently recorded to the south of the Fakenham Road with occasional forays along the Wensum to the north-west of Attlebridge. It was not heard for a period between 01:33hrs and 02:47hrs and was not recorded by surveyors conducting driving searches. When it was recorded again it was still to the south-west of Attlebridge and it was then recorded flying east and west in the Wensum flood plain and then in the woodland of Scotchwood Hills at 03:45hrs. At 03:50hrs it was recorded static in Hardingham Hills and was then recorded making short forays out of the


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roost and foraging over the cereal fields to the south-west and north-west of the woodland. It was then recorded south of Morton Hall between 04:32hrs and 04:43hrs foraging in Long Plantation and then tracked back to Hardingham Hills between 04:46hrs and 04:50hrs finally being recorded static in its roost at 05:08hrs.

On 13th August the bat was recorded initially south of Attlebridge but then was heard faintly to the east in Deighton Hills by the surveyor at Attlebridge. A second surveyor moved around to try to take joint bearings. It was recorded south of Marriott’s Way car park at Freeland Corner heading west. The signals kept fading in and out and no joint bearings were taken, although single bearings placed the bat north of Fakenham Road in the Attlebridge/Deighton Hills area between 22:08hrs and 23:35hrs. It was then recorded with a joint bearing placing it along the Felthorpe Road at 23:38hrs and it then flew rapidly south back into the Wensum flood plain south of Fakenham Road being recorded near Ringland Lane at 23:47hrs. It remained south of the Fakenham Road foraging in the Wensum flood plain. Surveyors went searching for bats at 02:45hrs as few were in the immediate vicinity, including bat 28. It was not recorded until at 03:25hrs when it was recorded back in the Hardingham Hills area. It was then recorded making forays in this area until dawn.

On 14th August a half night of radio-tracking was undertaken. The bat was recorded south of the Fakenham Road for much of the survey period, although it was recorded flying north into the Attlebridge Hills area for a short period. The bat was flying rapidly up and down the Wensum flood plain corridor making joint bearings difficult to achieve. It was also recorded foraging within the woodlands to the north-west of Ringland.

Bat 30

This non-breeding adult female bat was caught at the same location as bat 28 on 9th August 2009 at 22:45hrs and was also found in the same tree roost R31. It was recorded in roost R34 also within Morton Plantation on 11th August and R38 in Hardingham Hills every day from 12th to 15th August inclusive. This bat was recaptured from tree roost R34 on 11th August 2009 during trapping efforts.

This bat was tracked after it was released and was recorded in Attlebridge Hills and Deighton Hills foraging constantly between 00:43hrs and 00:53hrs and again between 01:13hrs and 01:34hrs. Between 1:52hrs and 2:38hrs it was foraging south of the road over the Wensum valley and in the woodlands just north of Ringland before returning to Attlebridge Hills at 02:57hrs.

On 10th August the bat was recorded south of Fakenham Road from emerging until 22:18hrs when the bat was recorded again north of the road in Attlebridge Hills. From 22: 09hrs until 00:30hrs heavy rain was recorded. During this time the bat was not recorded after 22:36hrs when it was recorded in the Wensum Valley south of Fakenham Road. The bat appeared to head west and was recorded west of Weston Longville and south of Lenwade and Attlebridge between 01:44hrs and 01:58hrs. It was recorded in the Weston Park golf course areas from 02:25hrs being recorded back at Morton Plantation at 03:42hrs and still moving in the woodland at 04:26hrs.

From 11th to 14th August the presence of bat 30 was monitored but was recorded at all times to the west around the Weston Park Golf course and south of Attlebridge and other bats were therefore concentrated on in terms of getting data. It was recorded static in its roost at 01:56hrs on 14th August having been foraging around the golf course earlier.

Bat 32

This juvenile female bat was caught from tree roost R31 in Morton Plantation, Weston Park Golf Course on 10th August 2009. After being released it was tracked south towards Weston Longville at 22:01hrs and then east before heading back towards Scotchwood Hills and Hardingham Hills and Weston golf course.

On 11th August the bat’s position was monitored throughout the night but was not recorded in the vicinity of the proposed NDR. It was first recorded south of Attlebridge at 21:24hrs and then back at the Scotchwood Hills/Hardingham Hills area from 03:45hrs onwards.

A similar approach to tracking this bat was taken on 12th and 13th August with the area being monitored in case the bat moved into the vicinity of the proposed NDR. On 12th August it was


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recorded south of Attlebridge in the Wensum flood plain at 21:57hrs. It was recorded around the Scotchwood Hills area and south of the Fakenham Road in the Wensum flood plain after this point on occasions throughout the night. It was also recorded foraging over cereal fields between 04:12hrs and 04:16hrs adjacent to the south and west of Hardingham Hills woodland and at 04:19hrs south of Attlebridge near Spring Hills. It then returned to the Scotchwood Hills area where it remained.

On 13th August it was recorded in the Scotchwood Hills area early in the evening. The area around Attlebridge was quiet with few of the tagged bats being recorded from 02:00hrs, therefore a general search was undertaken of the surrounding areas south to Weston, east to Easton, Ringland and west and south of Lenwade. Bat 32 was not recorded. It was later recorded in the woodlands surrounding Morton Hall at 04:12hrs.

Bat 33

This adult non-breeding female bat was caught from tree roost R31 on 10th August 2009. Later that night it was found foraging from 21:59hrs 22:12hrs over the Wensum floodplain to the west of Crooked Oaks. At 22:25hrs the bat was acquired foraging over the Wensum floodplain to the north-west of Attlebridge and at 22:42hrs was triangulated over a field to the east of Attlebridge, north of the Fakenham Road. From 00:12hrs through 04:45hrs the bat was recorded foraging over the Wensum floodplain and the east facing slopes below Morton Hall, to the south-west of Attlebridge. At 03:51hrs it was recorded making a foray south-west of Porter’s Lane, near Lenwade, the furthest west the bat was recorded.

During the day of 11th August 2009 the bat’s day roost was not located. That evening the bat was first acquired at 20:55hrs over the river Wensum floodplain and appeared to have entered the area from the direction of Morton Hall. From then until 21:44hrs it was tracked foraging constantly up and down the river Wensum floodplain and the eastern slopes of Morton Hall with occasional forays west to Morton Lane/Ringland Lane. From 23:18hrs through 23:38hrs it was tracked from Morton Lane/Ringland Lane foraging over the fields and woodland belts on the western side of Morton Hall. The bat was again found foraging over the Wensum floodplain west of Attlebridge at 03:09hrs.

During the day of 12th August 2009 the bat was found roosting in tree roost R35. That evening the bat was first acquired at 21:04hrs over the Wensum floodplain to the south-west of Attlebridge. At 21:33hrs it was recorded over the Wensum floodplain west of Crooked Oaks. At 03:19hrs it was reconfirmed foraging to the south-west of Attlebridge over the Wensum floodplain. It remained foraging in this area and up into the hills around Morton Hall for the rest of the night. At 04:00hrs it was triangulated on two occasions very close to the bridge over the River Wensum at Attlebridge. It then rapidly headed south to Scotchwood Hills (triangulation point 33.21 at 04:03hrs) then west towards Hardingham Hills (triangulation point 33.22 at 04:07hrs). A surveyor stationed on Morton Lane at point 6G recorded the bat approach from Scotchwood Hills to Hardingham Hills and recorded the bat foraging around Hardingham Hills wood and the cereal crops in the adjacent fields until 04:15hrs when it was determined as static within Hardingham Hills. Bat 28, 35 and 42 were recorded foraging over the same area around Hardingham Hills and over the same time period as bat 33. The last recording at 04:49hrs suggested the bat was static, possibly in Scotchwood Hills.

During the day of 13th August 2009 the bat was found roosting in tree roost R40. That evening at 21:38hrs the bat was acquired to the south-west of Attlebridge over the River Wensum floodplain. It was tracked in detail over the next hour in the same area. It was verified again near the bridge over the Wensum at Attlebridge at 02:45hrs. At 03:20hrs it was recorded on a south-easterly bearing towards Morton Plantation. At 03:31hrs it was recorded from Ringland Lane on a south-easterly bearing, placing the bat near the various belts of woodland south of Morton Hall.

During the day of 14th August 2009, the bat was found roosting in tree roost R40. That evening the bat was first acquired at 21:32hrs foraging near to its roost tree in Scotchwood Hills. It remained foraging in this area until at 22:02hrs it was recorded to the south-west of Scotchwood Hills beyond Ringland Lane. At 23:29hrs it was reconfirmed in the Scotchwood Hills/Hardingham Hills area. At 23:53hrs it appeared to be static in the roost tree R40 in Scotchwood Hills. During the day of 15th August 2009, the bat was confirmed roosting in tree roost R40.


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Bat 34

This juvenile female bat was caught from tree roost R31 on 10th August 2009. On 11th August it was not found during daytime tracking. It was not recorded during the night time tracking that evening until at 5:09hrs it was thought to be static in the Scotchwood Hills area.

On 12th August it was confirmed day roosting in R38 in Scotchwood Hills. That night a single bearing was recorded at 03:31hrs, when it was thought to be static in the area of Scotchwood Hills.

On 13th and 14th August it was confirmed day roosting in tree roost R40 in Scotchwood Hills.

During the night of 13th August it was recorded in the area of Scotchwood Hills at 03:38hrs and 03:40hrs. It was later recorded at 05:14hrs foraging in the vicinity of tree roost R40.

On 14th August it was recorded foraging in the Hardingham Hills area between 20:23hrs and 20:40hrs. At 22:08hrs the bat was found foraging near the junction of Marl Hill Road and Ringland Lane. Since the same pair of surveyors were obtaining good information on bat 20 closer to the scheme the priority was given to bat 20.

On 15th August it was confirmed day roosting in tree roost R38.

Bat 36

This juvenile female was caught from tree roost R31 on 10th August 2009. It was tracked back to the large tree roost in Hardingham Hills (R38) on 11th and 12th August and tree roost R40 in Scotchwood Hills on 13th and 14th August. After it was released the bat was recorded firstly within Weston dinosaur park and then out over the Wensum flood plain north–west of Attlebridge. It remained to the west of Attlebridge for the whole night being recorded as far west as Lenwade.

On the 11th August the bat was first recorded flying around Morton Hall at 21:30hrs and it remained in the Wensum valley for some time. At 23:36hrs it was recorded north of the Fakenham Road and then flying rapidly east at 00:37hrs. Unfortunately despite moving locations, no joint bearings were gathered. The bat was checked for in an easterly direction around the vicinity of the proposed scheme but was not found. It was then recorded back in the Wensum flood plain foraging east and west along the valley before returning to the Scotchwood Hills area.

On 12th August it was again first recorded along the Wensum valley south of Attlebridge, it then disappeared and was acquired in a north-easterly direction from the Marriott’s Way Freeland Corner car park at 22:29hrs. It was not found again until 01:40hrs when it was found to the north-east of Attlebridge. It was moving rapidly and the signals of three surveyors trying to track it kept altering. It is considered that it was tracking back and forth along Marriott’s Way. Eventually several joint bearings were achieved with the bat being located either side of Marriott’s Way north of Attlebridge before moving back south of Attlebridge over the Wensum valley at 02:28hrs where it was recorded thereafter.

On 13th August the bat was recorded initially within the Wensum flood plain south of Attlebridge and foraging around Scotchwood Hills and Morton Hall. It was recorded heading north from Attlebridge at 22:46hrs. Three surveyors worked together in the area to try to get joint bearings but the signal appeared to shift rapidly and was bouncing. At 23:30hrs a joint bearing was achieved putting the bat along Felthorpe Road east of Winston House and then further south towards Triumph Plantation, it appeared to move back west back towards Attlebridge when it was briefly lost. At 23:49hrs it was checked for in the north but it was not acquired again until 00:04hrs when it was recorded in the direction of Mileplain Plantation from Reepham Road. It was then recorded foraging in the Upgate area still moving rapidly between 00:08hrs to 00:13hrs when it was recorded south of Marriott’s Way at triangulation point 36.13 before heading back to Upton Common and Broom Plantation. It was recorded in this area between 00:04hrs and 01:21hrs when it was recorded heading rapidly west. It was then recorded back at Scotchwood Hills at 02:01 foraging along the west side of the woodland belt. At 02:14hrs it moved to Hardingham Hills and remained to the south of Fakenham Road until at least 02:45hrs when the surveyors moved to search for other bats.

On 14th August this bat was not specifically being tracked as other bats were prioritised for tracking, however, it was recorded foraging in Hardingham Hills at 01:04hrs.


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Bat 37

This non-breeding adult female was caught from tree roost R31 on 10th August 2009. It was found in tree roost R38 on 11th and 12th August 2009 and in roost R40 from 13th through 15th August 2009. After being released, it was first acquired at 22:06hrs to the south-west of Crooked Oaks on the Fakenham Road. It was recorded to the west and south-west of Attlebridge over the River Wensum floodplain from 04:25hrs through 04:41hrs.

On the night of 11th August 2009 it was first acquired at 20:56hrs through 21:00hrs foraging over the River Wensum floodplain to the south-west of Attlebridge. It was recorded in the same area at 21:36hrs, 22:05hrs, 22:19hrs, midnight, 03:06hrs, 03:43hrs and 04:51hrs. At 05:12hrs it was static in Hardingham Hills.

On the night of 12th August 2009 it was first acquired at 02:44hrs near Morton Plantation from Norwich Road. At 02:54hrs it was tracked on a north-easterly bearing towards Alderford. At 03:24hrs the bat was recorded to the west and south-west of Attlebridge. Further recordings of the bat in the same area were made at 03:34hrs 04:08hrs. At 04:30hrs the bat was recorded due north of the Marl Hill Road towards Morton Plantation.

On the night of 13th August 2009 it was first acquired at 02:02hrs in the area of Scotchwood Hills. At 03:01hrs, 03:05hrs and 03:06hrs it was recorded foraging in the area of Scotchwood Hills and Hardingham Hills.

On the night of 14th August 2009, the bat was first acquired at 20:23hrs west of Attlebridge. It was tracked foraging to the west and south-west of Attlebridge over the River Wensum floodplain until 21:10hrs.

Bat 39

This non-breeding adult female barbastelle bat was caught from tree roost R31 on 10th August 2009. It was found at tree roost R33 on 11th August 2009, tree roost R38 on 12th August 2009and tree roost R40 from 13th through 15th August 2009.

On the night of 10th August 2009, the bat was first acquired between 22:05hrs and 22:20hrs south from the Norwich Road placing the bat within Weston Park. Between 00:14 and and 00:16hrs it was recorded moving rapidly around the eastern flanks of Scotchwood Hills. The signal was lost at 00:19hrs. The bat was reacquired at 00:23hrs within Weston Park golf course. From 00:23hrs through 01:10hrs it was tracked closely with 10 triangulation points taken placing the bat actively foraging in Weston Park golf course. Morton Plantation, Oak Plantation, Gravel Plantation, The Clumps, and the open fields to the west of Marl Hill Road were all visited during this period. At 00:37hrs the bat was recorded foraging within Morton Plantation very near to the surveyor at 6W with occasional brief forays made apparently over the road into Morton Warren where the signal became masked by several industrial buildings before the bat returned into view. Between 01:00 and 01:10hrs the bat was determined as foraging up to and along the road frontage of Morton Plantation with the Fakenham Road. The bat was reacquired at 01:34hrs to the north-west of Attlebridge, most likely within the Morton Plantation area. At 03:50hrs the bat was recorded to the south-east of observation point 5T, placing the bat south over the River Wensum floodplain south of Attlebridge Hills. The last bearing taken on the bat was at 04:23hrs to the south-west of Attlebridge.

On the night of 11th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 21:02hrs to the north-west of Morton over the river and was tracked to the south-west in the direction of Slade Plantation and Morton Warren to Morton Plantation. By 21:14hrs the bat was located foraging over fields to the south and south-east of Scotchwood Hills. At 21:34hrs it was tracked further south in the direction of Morton Hall and at 21:38hrs the bat had moved due south of Attlebridge. At 22.07hrs the bat had moved to the north-western side of Morton Hall. At 00.03hrs the bat was recorded faintly to the south-west of Attlebridge. At 03:07hrs the bat was recorded due west of Attlebridge. At 04:43hrs the bat was tracked foraging to the south-west of Attlebridge and by 04:48hrs it had shifted northwards over the River Wensum just to the south of Attlebridge. Shortly thereafter at 05:14hrs the bat was static in the area of Morton Plantation.


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On the night of 12th August 2009 the bat was recorded from 22:47hrs foraging to the south of the Fakenham Road, first to the south-west of Crooked Oaks, then from 22:53hrs to 22:57hrs when it was recorded east of Crooked Oaks, still to the south of the Fakenham Road. At 23:11hrs, 23:20hrs and 23:29hrs it was recorded south-east, south and south of Crooked Oaks respectively. At regular intervals from 23:57hrs through 00:15hrs the bat was recorded south-west of Attlebridge Hills. It remained in this area foraging as far north as due west of Attlebridge at 02:31hrs and 03:02hrs. At 04:32hrs it was tracked north of where the Fakenham Road crosses the River Wensum at Attlebridge.

On the night of 13th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 21:41hrs to the south-west of Attlebridge. By 21:52hrs the bat had moved due south of Attlebridge and by 21:59hrs it had continued its eastward trend to the south-east into the River Wensum floodplain. At 00:04hrs the bat was triangulated twice directly south of Attlebridge. At 00:49hrs the bat was found static within Morton Plantation. At 03:48hrs the bat was recorded in the area of Scotchwood Hills and was considered static there at 04:09hrs through 04:22hrs. At 04:34hrs the bat was detected flying a north-westerly direction broadly along the direction of Morton Lane/Ringland Lane.

On the night of 14th August 2009 the bat was first acquired from 20:48hrs to 20:50hrs first of all due west of Attlebridge then south and west towards Morton Hall. The bat was recorded in the same area at 21:05hrs to 21:07hrs. From 21:17hrs it was recorded at regular intervals closer to the south and west of Attlebridge until 22:03hrs when it shifted to the south-east. It was recorded due south of Crooked Oaks on the Fakenham Road at 22:12hrs and thereafter at regular intervals to the south and south-east. At 22:59hrs it was recorded from the entrance to the Wensum Valley Hotel golf course on a north-easterly bearing and from 23:03hrs to 23:05hrs it was tracked to the west and south-west. The surveyor moved position to the south-west and at 23:18hrs a series of bearings were taken to the north and north-east placing the bat within Snake Wood and/or Round Wood. From 00:20hrs through 00:33hrs the bat was tracked foraging from Snake Wood/Round Wood in the east, over to the Wensum River to the north-west.

Bat 40

This adult lactating female barbastelle bat was caught from tree roost R34 on 11th August 2009. It was tracked to daytime roosts R35 on 12th August 2009, R40 on 13th August 2009 and R37 on 14th and 15th August 2009.

This bat was not recorded during the 11th or 12th August 2009 night time tracking sessions.

On 13th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 04:15hrs to the north of observation point 5J on Ringland Lane between Scotchwood Hills and Hardingham Hills. At 04:23hrs the bat was tracked moving away to the north-west.

On 14th August 2009 the bat was tracked from its daytime roost R37 on Weston Golf Course. The bat departed at 20:32hrs in the direction of Morton Plantation. At 20:59hrs it was detected very weakly in the same direction west of Attlebridge. At 21:24hrs it was detected weakly to the north-west of Attlebridge. At 21:35hrs it was recorded foraging close to the surveyor in Morton Plantation and Oak Plantation but at 21:37hrs the bat faded to the south-east. At 21:52hrs it was reacquired from the junction of Morton Lane and Sandy Lane. The signal was very loud in the direction of Well Grove Farm to the south-west. At 22:00hrs the bat was tracked moving in an easterly direction then the signal rapidly faded suggesting the bat had moved off to the south-east. At 22:34hrs the bat was recorded in the direction of Morton Plantation and from 22:37hrs was tracked moving rapidly from east to west in the area of Morton Plantation and Oak Plantation. At 22:46hrs the bat was static in the direction of tree roost R37. At 22:49hrs the bat was recorded heading away swiftly on a south-westerly bearing. From 22:51hrs through 23:56hrs it was recorded moving towards and away from the surveyor on the same, faint, south-westerly bearing. The bearings suggested that the bat was foraging in the area of Constitution Hill on the south-western side of Weston Golf Course. This area was verified by a second surveyor stationed on Ringland Lane at 22:59hrs. At 23:00hrs the signal was lost. At 23:09hrs the bat was recorded to the south-west of Morton Lane in the direction of Gray’s Wood. It was tracked foraging in the general area of Gray’s Wood, Osier Carr and the adjacent fields through 23:19hrs. At 23:19hrs the bat approached the surveyor and for the next 12 minutes was recorded foraging up and down the road side hedgerow


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along Morton Lane next to observation point 7B. At 21:31hrs the bat suddenly headed off in a westerly direction and the signal was lost.

Bat 42

This is a lactating female caught on 11th August 2009 from tree roost R33. It was found day roosting in tree roost R38 on 12th August 2009, R40 on 13th August 2009 and R37 on 14th and 15th August 2009.

On the night of 11th August 2009, the bat was first acquired at 00:32hrs close to the western side of Attlebridge. Between 00:36hrs and 00:38hrs it was tracked closely through a large open field in a westerly direction past the southern side of Scotchwood Hills. The bat then turned to the north and east and at 00:41hrs was triangulated near a narrow strip of woodland near “The Lodge” at Attlebridge. Between 01:11hrs and 01:16hrs the bat was tracked foraging over the smaller fields on the eastern slopes of Scotchwood Hills. Between 01:16hrs and 01:20hrs the bat was tracked eastwards across the Fakenham Road over Church Farm and out into the open fields to the south of Felthorpe Road. At 01:27hrs the bat was recorded heading west back past Attlebridge, although the crossing point was unverified.

On the night of 12th August 2009, the bat was first acquired at 20:56hrs to the south-west of Attlebridge then at 21:15hrs due west of Attlebridge. At 21:17hrs the bat was triangulated over a rectangular parcel of woodland which fronts the north side of the Fakenham Road. It was uncertain where the bat had crossed the Fakenham Road, although given the narrow passage of time between the previous bearing taken at 21:15hrs, it is considered likely to have passed over the road between Church Farm and opposite the woodland itself. The bat then drifted northwards and at 21:18hrs was north-east of observation point 1B. By 21:31hrs the bat had moved due west of observation point 6B placing the bat north of the Felthorpe Road. At 21:36hrs the bat was triangulated over Station Road in Attlebridge, although it was uncertain if the bat may have been heading east or west. From 22:34hrs the bat was recorded due west from Crooked Oaks placing the bat on the southern side of the Fakenham Road. It was recorded regularly from this position to the west and north-west through 23:38hrs. It was recorded regularly from 00:23hrs through 01:48hrs in the same area.

At 02:52hrs through 02:54hrs the bat was tracked closely foraging over an open field to the north of observation point 7i on Ringland Lane, just to the north of Ringland. The bat then disappeared on a northerly bearing and was reacquired by a different surveyor at 02:58hrs in the direction of Morton Hall. The bat was then tracked through 03:12hrs moving swiftly to the south-west towards Weston Longville. It was reacquired at 03:36hrs in the direction of Morton Hall. Between 04:13hrs and 04:18hrs it was tracked along the eastern slopes of Morton Hall. Between 04:28hrs and 04:40hrs it was tracked foraging over the cereal crop field to the south and west of Hardingham Hills. Between 04:40hrs and 04:44hrs it was tracked over the large field to the south of Scotchwood Hills in a westerly direction.

On the night of 13th August 2009, the bat was first acquired at 21:43hrs due south of Attlebridge. It was recorded again on a similar but fainter bearing at 21:58hrs. At 22:36hrs through 22:54hrs it was recorded to the west of Hardingham Hills. It was not recorded again until 04:24hrs through 04:30hrs when it was recorded foraging on the western side of Scotchwood Hills and south to Morton Hall.

On the night of 14th August 2009, it was first acquired at 20:35hrs to the west of Attlebridge where it was recorded regularly through 21:39hrs. It was reacquired at 22:14hrs to the south-west of Crooked Oaks on the Faversham Road. It remained on a western to south-western range from this observation point through 22:52hrs. At 23:26hrs it was triangulated to The Nursery plantation, which is one of a number of woodland fragments running south from Morton Hall on the east facing slopes above the Wensum River. At 00:22hrs, it was recorded to the north-west of observation point 6Y which is located on Ringland Lane to the east of Ringland. The bat was recorded foraging over fields on the eastern slopes of Royal Hill through 00:37hrs.

Male Barbastelle Bats Bat 21 - Juvenile


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This bat was caught on Marriott’s Way on 3rd August 2009. It was tracked back to Hall Plantation at Felthorpe Hall but unfortunately as access was still not possible no particular roost could be ascertained.

On the 4th August the bat was recorded in the woodlands and paddocks around Felthorpe Hall, including in Cushion’s Common and as far west as the northern tip of Swannington Bottom Plantation between 21:13hrs and 22:32hrs. It then disappeared in a south-east direction. Checks down towards the proposed NDR did not record the bat and it appeared back in the Felthorpe Hall area from 00:16hrs. It was thought to use a night roost either an outhouse of one of the houses or a tree in the woodland immediately behind (R48). It was recorded foraging in Hall Plantation and the woodland to the north of Hall Lane for the rest of the night.

On 5th August the bat was recorded briefly to the west of Felthorpe at 22:46hrs but it then disappeared. It was then recorded in the Stratton Strawless area between 00:02hrs and 00:12 hrs. It was later recorded by the surveyors trapping in Felthorpe Common at T17 in a northerly direction at 00:44hrs. A third surveyor then recorded it further west in the Beck Farm Area at 00:52hrs and then in the Felthorpe Woodlands area. It was finally recorded static for approximately 5 minutes in an area of woodland called Small Hope Plantation (R47).

On 6th August the bat was recorded foraging up and down in Hall Plantation at the start of the evening then moving out into the fields and woodland to the east of Hall Lane before heading further east at 23:32hrs. The bat was then acquired in the Stratton Strawless area at 00:07hrs where it was recorded until the surveyors had to leave the area at 01:50hrs.

The bat was not recorded foraging on the following evenings, although the tag was still emitting its frequency and it is thought that the tag came of the bat and no further information was provided from 7th August onwards. When access was finally granted into Hall Plantation on 11th August the tree that the bat had been roosting in was not found. It was thought that the tag may have been hung up within the tree canopy.

Bat 22

This adult male bat was caught at Spixworth on 6th August in the same area that bat 19 had been caught during the June radio-tracking session. It was taken out of the harp trap in which it had been caught at 22:35hrs and was noted as having pronounced ear buttons. No roost was found despite extensive searching in all directions, including to the north, south and east of Rackheath, however, it was recorded within the vicinity of the proposed NDR during the night tracking.

Immediately after being released the bat foraged around Spixworth between midnight and 00:38hrs but was not recorded after this point.

On 7th August the tracking surveyors drove around trying to find bat 2. Eventually at 01:25hrs it was recorded by a surveyor in Spixworth Hall estate with the bat within the estate recorded close to the surveyor but it then disappeared in an easterly direction at 01:38hrs. It was searched for until 03:40hrs but was not found again.

Following on from the findings of the previous evening, on 8th August the two surveyors were positioned in the eastern areas around Spixworth and Beeston to try and pick up bat 2 and the direction it was coming from. The bat was acquired in the Beeston Estate at 23:50hrs and then in the Spixworth area by 23:56hrs. It was finally acquired foraging over the fields south of The Wilderness and in Black Park between 01:00hrs and 01:35hrs

It was not recorded again along the proposed NDR, including the Plumstead area with regular checks in the nights being made to the east as well as in the west.

Bat 23

This adult male bat was caught at trapping point T19 along Marriott’s Way on 8th August at 21:30hrs, some 54 minutes after sunset. After it was released it was not recorded again until 12th August when it was recorded around Lenwade either over the river corridor or on Marriott’s Way. It was not recorded in the vicinity of the proposed NDR.


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No roost was found for this bat until 14th August when it was found at Bylaugh Wood some 10.8km to the west of the where it had been trapped (R44). The exact roost was not found as access was not permitted by the land owner.

Bat 25

This bat was caught on 8th August 2009 at midnight at trapping location T19 on Marriott’s Way to the west of the junction of Felthorpe Road and Reepham Road. During the daytime the bat was found in tree roost R45 on 9th August 2009, in tree roost R45 on 10th August 2009, roost R43 for 11th, 12th, 13th and 15th August 2009 but was not recorded on 14th August 2009.

On the night of 8th August 2009 after being released, the bat remained active near the trapping location from 3:45hrs to 03:49hrs. At 04:10hrs the bat was tracked eastwards along Marriott’s Way and at 04:11hrs before heading south at 04:11hrs.

On the night of 9th August 2009 the bat was tracked between 21:29hrs and 22:06hrs. It was first acquired to the south-east of Upgate Common towards Gilham’s Heath Plantation. From 21:50hrs through 22:06hrs it was recorded foraging up and down Marriott’s Way to the east of the junction of Felthorpe Road and Reepham Road. Occasional forays were made to the north-west of the surveyor’s position, placing the bat over fields south of Reepham Road.

On the night of 10th August 2009 the bat was not recorded in the direction of the proposals. It was acquired at 23:32hrs to 23:35hrs and was determined as being active in the area of Upgate Common.

On the night of 11th August 2009 the bat was not recorded in the direction of the proposals. It was acquired at 01:43hrs at the junction of Felthorpe Road and Reepham Road on the car aerial but could not be detected using the hand aerial.

On the night of 12th August 2009 the bat was not recorded in the direction of the proposals.

On the night of 13th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 23:38hrs on an easterly bearing from the Felthorpe Road, placing the bat either near Marriott’s Way east of the junction of Felthorpe Road and Reepham Road or in Mileplain Plantation just to the south. The bat then shifted well north of Marriott’s Way. From 23:52hrs until 00:10hrs it was recorded flying rapidly north towards Upgate and east towards Gilham’s Heath Plantation. In this period the bat was always north of Reepham Road and Marriott’s Way. Between 02:50hrs and 02:53hrs the bat was recorded east of Ringland Road in the direction of Morton Hall. The bat was then reacquired to the north-west of Attlebridge, indicating that the bat had travelled from the south-east of the river Wensum upstream past Attlebridge. The bat was then recorded due south of Norwich Road at point 6Z in the direction of Weston Park golf course. At 03:42hrs the bat was recorded east of Ringland Lane again in the direction of Morton Hall. Between 04:40hrs and 04:57hrs a range of bearings were taken indicating that the bat was foraging among the various parcels of woodland surrounding Morton Hall.

During the day of 14th August 2009 the bat was not detected in the region of Morton Hall or Upgate Common and was not found.

On the night of 14th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 22:50hrs on a faint north-easterly bearing towards Upgate Common. Between 22:50hrs and 23:00hrs the bat was recorded more strongly to the north-east in the direction of Upgate Common and Swannington Bottom Plantation. From 23:08hrs to 23:10hrs it was recorded foraging at the western end of Upgate Common, then at 23:29hrs the bat headed due south crossing School Road and following the western edge of Broom Plantation. At 23:31hrs the bat re-crossed School Road briefly before heading back south along the western edge of Broom Plantation. At 23:36hrs the bat was triangulated to its roost tree R43. At 23:40hrs the bat was recorded heading south and crossed over School Road down the eastern side of some residential houses near to point 5N. The bat headed into Broom Plantation to the south. Between midnight and 00:14hrs the bat was recorded making a foray to the north and north-west of Felthorpe Road possibly along Marriott’s Way or over the fields adjacent to it. At 00:16hrs the bat was recorded heading back in the direction of Broom Plantation heading north towards Upgate Common. The last recording of this bat was at 00:59hrs when the bat was acquired on a north-easterly bearing from Marl Hill Road.


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Bat 26

This male bat was caught on 8th August 2009 at trapping point 3b along Marriott’s Way just west of the Freeland Corner carpark. During the daytime the bat was located in tree roost R42 on the 9th August in a tree roost in Walsingham Plantation in Deighton Hills on the 11th August 2009. From 11th August 2009 it was determined that the radio transmitter had been dislodged inside the roost tree.

On the night of 8th August 2009 the bat was not recorded in the vicinity of the proposals.

On the night of 9th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 00:13hrs in the direction of Marriott’s Way near Foxburrow Plantation to the west of Freeland Corner. At 00:26hrs the bat was recorded in the area of Walsingham Plantation just to the west of the junction of Fakenham Road and Fir Covert Road. From 00:26hrs through 01:49hrs the bat was monitored foraging in the Deighton Hills area, with occasional forays made westwards towards Attlebridge Hills and eastwards towards Walsingham Plantation. The bat was recorded in the same area at 02:07hrs, 02:28hr, 02:49hrs and 02:51hrs.

On the night of 10th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 23:48hrs on a south-easterly bearing from Marriott’s Way, placing the bat south of Freeland Corner. The bat was moving away from the surveyor rapidly. It was reacquired to the north-west of the Fakenham Road in the direction of Attleborough Hills at 00:21hrs. Between 01:05hrs and 01:18hrs it was recorded to the south-east of Attlebridge in the vicinity of an area of woodland close to the River Wensum. At 01:19hrs it was tracked to the west of Crooked Oaks on the Fakenham Road, meaning that the bat had travelled south-eastwards along the river valley. At 01:55hrs and 01:57hrs it was again recorded on westerly bearings from Crooked Oaks. At 03:55hrs it was recorded to the south-east of Crooked Oaks in the direction of the Wensum Valley Hotel golf course.

Bat 27

This male bat was caught on 8th August at trapping point T3b along Marriott’s Way just west of the Freeland Corner carpark. No roosts were found. The bat was recorded on two occasions some 5km north of where the bat had been caught.

On the first occasion it was heard on the car area near The Heath. It was then recorded in a westerly direction but the bearing was relatively weak. On 15th August at 01:00hrs it was recorded north of The Heath and although only single bearings were taken by a single surveyor it was determined that the bat was relatively close to the surveyor and likely foraging in Buxton Heath and Hevingham Lakes. It foraged in this area until approximately 01:20hrs before flying in a westerly direction. At 01:29hrs it was recorded again further west in Great Wood to the west of Holt Road. Buxton Heath is approximately 5.6km to the north of trapping point T3b on Marriott’s Way.

Bat 29

This male bat was caught on 9th August 2009 at 21:30hrs at trapping point T20b along Marriott’s Way where the disused railway line crosses the Wensum. It was recorded back to tree roost R32 in Morton Plantation. It was determined as day roosting in R32 on 10th and 11th August then R36 through 15th August 2009. The bat was recorded foraging on one night only, that of 10th August 2009. No bearings were taken of it flying after this point and it was determined that the tag had become dislodged in the tree.

On 10th August it was first recorded south of the roost area within the golf course at approximately 21:56hrs. It then flew rapidly east and was recorded both north and south of Attlebridge between 22:08hrs and 22:10hrs. There was heavy rain between 22:09hrs and 00:30hrs \and the bat was not recorded again until 04:27hrs when it was recorded to the west of Morton Plantation. This was despite surveyors making searches in all directions looking for this and other missing bats.

Bat 31

This male bat was caught from at trapping point 20b along Marriott’s Way where the disused railway line crosses the Wensum. It was recorded as being in breeding condition with testes scrotal. After release it was never recorded and no roost for this bat was found. Either the tag failed or the bat flew out of the search area.


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Bat 35

This juvenile male bat was caught from tree roost R31 on 10th August 2009. It was then confirmed in tree roost R33 on 11th August and tree roost R38 from 12th August 2009 through 15th August 2009.

On the night of 10th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 22:35hrs near the bridge over the River Wensum at Attlebridge. It was then tracked to the north-west upriver towards the Marriott’s Way crossing before returning to the fields south of Morton. It was recorded at regular intervals to the west and south-west of Attlebridge between 00:24hrs, 00:43hrs, 01:49hrs, 02:11hrs, 02:16hrs and 02:14hrs. At 04:04hrs the bat was recorded actively flying within Morton Plantation. At 04:35hrs the bat was determined as static within Morton Plantation but was again found actively flying between 04:38hrs through 04:44hrs.

On the night of 11th August 2009 this bat was first acquired at 21:17hrs to the south-west of Morton. It was tracked foraging in the area around Hardingham Hills and to the south-west of Attlebridge over the Wensum floodplain. It remained in this area until at least 21:58hrs. It was reacquired at 00:35hrs and 00:38hrs to the south-west of Attlebridge over the Wensum floodplain. At 04:16hrs the bat was reacquired foraging over fields to the south-west of Morton. It foraged over this area until 05:11hrs when it was determined as static in the direction of Hardingham Hills.

On the night of 12th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 20:58hrs to the south-west of Attlebridge Hall. At 21:20hrs the bat was recorded west of Attlebridge but by 21:25hrs it had travelled back in a south-easterly direction along the River Wensum floodplain towards the Wensum Valley Hotel golf course. At 21:34hrs the bat was recorded on a westerly bearing from Crooked Oaks layby on the Fakenham Road. At 22:28hrs, 22:38hrs and 23:15hrs the bat was re-acquired over the Wensum Valley hotel golf course, the furthest easterly bearing recorded. At 01:58hrs the bat returned to the area west of Attlebridge and was recorded flying in this area at 02:29hrs and 02:32hrs. At 02:38hrs the bat was confirmed static in Hardingham Hills. The bat was recorded flying again to the west and south-west of Attlebridge at 02:45hrs, 02:48hrs, 03:04hrs and 03:09hrs. From 03:15hrs through 03:30hrs the bat was close tracked foraging over two cereal fields adjacent to Hardingham Hills. At 03:32hrs and 03:40hrs it was recorded in the River Wensum floodplain to the west and south-west of Attlebridge. From 04:01hrs to 04:10hrs it was close tracked again over the cereal field wrapping around the southern and western flanks of Hardingham Hills. It was still recorded actively in the area at 04:26hrs.

On the night of 13th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 21:34hrs east of Attlebridge marginally to the south of Fakenham Road. At 21:48hrs it was then recorded to the south-west of Attlebridge. It was recorded at regular intervals in this area at 22:45hrs, 22:50hrs, 22:54hrs, 23:09hrs, 23:24hrs, 00:26hrs and 00:35hrs. At 2:51hrs it was recorded foraging actively in the Scotchwood Hills area and later at 04:11hrs. At 05:16hrs a brief foray was detected to the west of Ringland Lane before it returned to roost R38.

On the night of 14th August 2009, the bat was first acquired at 20:32hrs actively flying actively within Scotchwood Hills. From then until 21:32hrs the bat was recorded foraging around the Scotchwood Hills area as far as the floodplain near Attlebridge and west beyond Ringland Lane.

Bat 38

This bat, a juvenile male, was caught from tree roost R31 on 10th August 2009. It was subsequently found in roost R34 on 11th August, R38 on 12th and 13th August, R40 on 14th August and roost R41 on 15th August 2009. The bat was first acquired at 22:20hrs to the west and south-west of Attlebridge where it was recorded regularly through 22:49hrs and again at 00:27hrs, 00:42hrs, 01:32hrs and 01:52hrs. At 02:16hrs the bat was triangulated to the west of Morton village and at 02:17hrs and 02:18hrs it was recorded heading north up the Wensum valley through Marriot’s Way towards Alderford. In view of the short passage of time between triangulation points 38.3 and 38.4, and given the nature of the industrial buildings flanking Norwich Road, it is considered likely that the bat crossed Norwich Road northwards through Morton Warren and Slade Plantation. At 02:36hrs the bat was still in the same area to the north and west of Attlebridge. At 03:06hrs it was recorded south of Attlebridge feeding over the River and to the west of Attlebridge


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at 04:12hrs. From 04:28hrs through 04:32hrs the bat was tracked flying within Morton Plantation and at 04:34hrs was determined as static within Morton Plantation.

On the night of 11th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 21:10hrs to the west of Attlebridge. At 21:12hrs it was triangulated over fields to the north side of Hardingham Hills. At 21:58hrs and 00:42hrs it was recorded to the south-west of Attlebridge. At 03:06hrs it was recorded foraging to the west of Attlebridge. From 04:04hrs through 04:10hrs the bat was tracked foraging in the area of Scotchwood Hills and Hardingham Hills. It was recorded as static within Morton Plantation.

On the night of 12th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 23:30hrs over the River Wensum floodplain in the area of Attlebridge Hall. At 23:43hrs the bat returned north-west following the River valley and at 00:01hrs was recorded near Morton Hall. It remained in this area until 00:17hrs. At 01:36hrs, 01:59hrs, 03:26hrs, 03:34hrs, 04:08hrs through 04:11hrs it was recorded to the west of Attlebridge. At 04:21hrs it was recorded drifting further away on a westerly bearing, towards the Hardingham Hills area.

On the night of 13th August 2009 the bat was first acquired 21:40hrs due west of Attlebridge and from 21:50 through 21:52hrs was tracked flying around Scotchwood Hills. It was recorded at regular intervals to the west of Attlebridge at 22:30hrs, 22:47hrs and 23:06hrs. At 00:27hrs it was determined that the bat was static within the Scotchwood Hills or Hardingham Hills area. From 03:06hrs through 03:22hrs it was recorded foraging over fields in the area of Weston Longville to the west and around Hardingham Hills and Scotchwood Hills. From 04:16hrs through 04:22hrs the bat was recorded flying around Hardingham Hills and Scotchwood Hills.

On the night of 14th August the bat was first acquired at 20:23hrs to the west of Hardingham Hills. From 20:47hrs through 21:10hrs the bat was recorded foraging rapidly in the Scotchwood Hills area, to the south-west as far as Ringland Lane and north towards the River Wensum at Morton Bridge. Shortly after 21:10hrs the bat was tracked approaching the Fakenham Road bridge over the River Wensum at Attlebridge. The bat passed north beyond the road and pedestrian bridges, then spent several minutes foraging up and down the hedgerow forming the north side of The Street. It then headed swiftly away due south at 21:21hrs. At 22:59hrs the bat was recorded on a southerly bearing from the Norwich Road placing the bat in the area of Weston Golf Course. From 23:58hrs through 00:15hrs the bat was close tracked foraging over the field adjacent to Hardingham Hills both mostly on the southern side of the woodland and within the southern half of the woodland itself.

Bat 41

This is a male juvenile caught on 11th August 2009 from tree roost R34. It was found day roosting in tree roost R35 on 12th August 2009, R40 on 13th August 2009, R37 on 14th August 2009 and R37 on 15th August 2009.

On the night of 11th August 2009 only two recordings were taken of this bat during this tracking session. It was first recorded at 23:55hrs on a north-westerly bearing from Lyng Easthaugh, observation point 7D. The observation point is some 3.5km west of roost tree R34. It was later recorded at 05:19hrs within Morton Plantation just before dawn.

On the night of 12th August 2009 the bat was first acquired from observation point 7E within Weston Golf Course. It was heading out on an approximate north-westerly bearing from Oak Plantation at 22:11hrs. Between 22:28hrs and 22:44hrs it was tracked closely from Lenwade where the Fakenham Road bridges the Wensum. The bat was moving rapidly within 300m of the bridge within Lenwade Plantation and due south of the bridge over the floodplain. At 01:55hrs the bat was recorded to the south-east of Foxford Bridge in the direction of Lenwade. At 03:35hrs the bat was recorded to the south-west of Attlebridge. At 04:34hrs it was tracked through the Fakenham Road bridge over the River Wensum at Attlebridge. The direction to that point could not be ascertained, thereafter the bat was tracked through 04:35hrs on the southern side of the Fakenham Road heading west then north-west towards Morton Plantation. It was reacquired at 04:40hrs moving around within Hardingham Hills.

On the night of 13th August 2009 at 03:14hrs the bat was recorded on a south-easterly bearing from the Norwich Road in the direction of Morton Plantation. At 04:33hrs it was heard faintly due


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north of Ringland Lane again in the direction of Morton Plantation. No other records of the bat were taken during this session.

On the night of 14th August 2009 the bat was first acquired at 20:47hrs on a north-westerly bearing through Oak Plantation and Weston Golf Course. It was tracked in this area through 20:59hrs when it had drifted to a more northerly direction closer to Morton Plantation. No further records were taken during this session.

Norwich Northern Distributor Road Application for Development Consent Order

Document Reference: 6.2

9

E. Badger Report

CONFIDENTIAL BADGER REPORT REMOVED

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