Bat & Barn Owl Nights return to Martin Mere

Visitors to WWT Martin Mere will get the chance to search for owls, bats and even rare moths at a special after-hours event.

The event invites attendees to get even closer to nature at the wetland centre, going behind the scenes on the reserve searching for barn owls and bats.

  As the sun begins to set, reserve wardens will guide you through areas of the reserve usually off-limits and stop at key locations that often have barn owl sightings.

Louise Greenwood, Reserve Manager at WWT Martin Mere, said: “Barn owls are most active at dawn and dusk. You’ll often see them as they swoop around the reserve on the hunt for food. We host this event during the summer period as that’s when they’re out hunting for their young. They’ll scope out the area on the hunt for food like voles, mice and rats”.

  The night will then move on to tracking, recording and identifying bats. At Martin Mere, we've recorded species such as the Soprano Pipistrelle, Common Pipistrelle, Noctule, Daubenton's and Brown long-eared bats.

Armed with detectors, attendees will be able to detect the echolocation calls that bats produce, which are otherwise too high frequency to be heard with the human ear.

Louise Greenwood continues: "We'll also be opening our moth trap to see the species we record here on our reserve. Some beautiful moths we often find include the elephant hawk-moth and lime hawk-moth. It's a great opportunity to get up-close and take photos."

The event will take place for six limited days across June and July, with the first session on Friday 14 June. To secure your place, visit the WWT Martin Mere website.