Spring is here at last and we’re certainly very grateful for the nice weather we’ve had. It means the work on the refurbishment is progressing nicely. What a project! Did you know we’ve had to call in bat man??
We’ve got bats at the Castle, so before going ahead with any renovation we had to call in Stan Irwin, aka, The Bat Man. Stan’s a man who knows everything there is to know about bats and their conservation and he’s been a great help to us.
Stan identified two colonies of bats at Peckforton. The main colony of about 100 bats has been identified as a breeding colony of Natterer’s bats, which are really quite special. The British population is of international importance and a fully protected species under UK and European wildlife legislation, no less.
They use Peckforton Castle to breed and raise their young after the winter. Apparently, the combination of cavities in the old stone walls and the nearby foraging habitat of the surrounding woodland make the site ideal for their specific requirements. So, they just love it at Peckforton!
So special are these bats that all work on the refurbishment must be scheduled so they’re not disturbed. This means that their breeding patterns won’t be upset and their lives will continue as before, only with upgraded facilities!
Stan also discovered two brown long eared bats in a room that forms part of the refurbishment project. These only visit occasionally so Stan is sorting some bat boxes for them. In fact, we’re going to have about 16 bat boxes in nearby woodland in the hope that in the future they will provide places for a greater number of bats to aid their conservation.
Once the bats are safely settled in their new boxes we’ll be able to renovate the room, which will mean another new en-suite bedroom for us and nice new homes for the bats!
We’ll keep you posted.