We love our wildlife here in Thornton Heath and so it was great to learn that we have another thriving winged species  flying about at night.

Self confessed bat detectorist and local resident Graham Mitchell, who lives near Norbury Brook in Thornton Heath Rec said: “I suspect the bats roost at Manor Farm and travel up from Norbury to feed on midges and other insects around Norbury Brook.

“Some nights I can see the bats flitting amongst the trees near The Brook and over my back garden, but  it’s difficult to recognise them visually.

“However, with the help of a borrowed bat detector I have identified the calls of the Common Pipistrelle Bat  which is only three to five centimetres long with a wingspan of 19 to 25 centimetres and the Noctule Bat. Amazingly, the Noctule Bat has a wingspan of between 32 and 40cm!”

Graham would be interested to know if anyone else has spotted any bats around Thornton Heath and he can be contacted on FriendsOfNorburyBrook@gmail.com