Not many of us have ever had a bat zip over our head, seen the ghostly figure of a barn owl quartering the fields or appreciated the variety of moths that take to the air after dark.
The wildlife that comes out after the sun goes down is often overlooked because we are not naturally equipped to explore this environment.
At WWT Welney Wetland Centre, a range of specialist equipment can be used to gain an insight into the lives of these incredible creatures.
Thanks to the Friends of Welney group, the centre has invested in some new bat detectors so several species of bat could be easily identified.
Warden Louise Clewley said: “All nocturnal wildlife is fascinating to us because these creatures use totally different ways of navigating their world and finding the food they need to survive.
“Bats use echolocation to ‘see’ their prey in the dark. If we use specialist detectors we can hear the soundwaves they are producing. The most common bat species, common pipistrelle, can often be heard catching prey on the detectors with the rapid waves sounding like someone blowing a raspberry!”
Visitors can get closer to a wide variety of nocturnal creatures at special events hosted at WWT Welney.
Using shared equipment and having a guide on hand to answer questions is the best way to learn about this often undiscovered world.
WWT Welney Wetland Centre is also a bat monitoring station for the Norfolk Bat Survey, a citizen science project which aims to map the counties bat populations.
Bats and barn owls events take place at the centre on May 23, June 20, July 18, August 12 and August 14 from 8.30pm to 11pm.
Booking is essential and the event costs £10 per adult and £5 per child.
Call 01353 860711.
