Seven years ago David and I began work on creating a wildlife yarden. We focused on attracting as much wildlife to an inner city walled yard as we could.
Yarden
Bird feeders were the first and easiest addition to the yarden and during late summer/early autumn the feeders are usually awash with different coloured wings and bird calls. From chattering charms of goldfinches and the happy chirruping of sparrows to boisterous gangs of starlings. The odd blue tit is seen nervously snatching away a sunflower heart as well as two delicate greenfinches who’ve visited among with the goldfinches. All this activity has caught the eye of several sparrowhawks whose presence in the yarden is a wondrous sight to behold.
About three years ago we put in a wash bowl pond. It’s in a sheltered spot so we don’t have dragonflies or damsels visiting but we did have a little frog for a short while.
Over the years we have planted shrubs and herbs which flower at different times of the year to attract insects. We even have the odd sapling tree, with a hawthorn being my pride and joy!
Trying to increase the insect population means that other predators will hopefully move in. Imagine my excitement and surprise when I discovered that a bat frequents the area!
I know nothing about bats so here’s a few facts on them:
- There are 18 species of UK bat, with 17 breeding here
- They all eat insects and are a natural pest control for e.g. mosquitoes
- A pipistrelle can eat up to 3000 insects a night
- They use echolocation to find food
- They are indicators of biodiversity
- They pollinate and spread seeds
- Like the dormouse and hedgehog they hibernate
- The mating season is from September and females give birth to one pup around June in maternity roosts
- Cats and birds of prey are their main predators
- They are the only mammal that can fly
I wonder what type of bat is visiting? It could be the most common bat in the UK, called a common pipistrelle. I’d need a bat detector to discover the identity of our new visitor, perhaps I’ll add one to my birthday/Christmas wish list. :p
Have you got bats visiting your garden? What is your favourite bat?
Thanks for reading,
Christine xx
Christine Lucas 
Your yarden is such a wonderful space. I am quite awe struck that you have your sparrowhawk visitors.
There are a few spiders in my back yard at the moment. 🙄
We have frogs that seem to live in the outhouse where the bins are. There is a ground level tap there which might be why.
I had 14 sparrows visit at once yesterday!
I have seen bats fly nearby but not in my yard as yet.
Well done for making yours such a haven for wildlife. X
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Thanks Sharon for your lovely comment, little things make a big difference 🙂 x
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In my old house we had a large back garden that dropped down into a wooded area. We regularly saw bats flying above and around the garage and garden. Always seemingly doing the same loop, around and around. I haven’t a clue as to their type but as you say if there are insects around then the predators come
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Gorgeous!
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Thank you 😊
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No bats here that I am aware of- a squirrel, magpies, pigeons, roobin, blakbird and tits- very few come in the garden though- I’ll be working this Winter to do something about it. Love your garden and what you have achieved- i was wondering with the absence of trees/hedge what do the birds land on before coming to the feeders?
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My mum has a tree in her yard next to ours so the birds jump in that. We have a laurel that sparrows sit in x
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Love your Yarden Christine, great visitors too. In Romanian a bat is called a liliac. My Mum has bats swoop around her house every night, they are so fast, when we went to Chester zoo we went into the bat cave it was a little scary.
Best wishes Charlotte
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Chester Zoo’s bat cave is great, though their bats are a little bigger than the UK species. They are a wonderful spectacle to watch swooping and gliding 🙂
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