Yesterday evening I attended a bat survey near Lillingstone Dayrell - a village I never knew existed, it's above Akeley not far from Foxcote Res. I couldn't help but think on the drive over that the lovely surrounding countryside must hold some mega birds but just no ones looking.
On arrival we had a quick look around the inside of the (derelict) house and found an owl pellet which I've saved to be dissected in November at one of the Natural History practical evenings. We started the survey at sunset (18:54). I need to check my recordings to see if it was Brown-long eared bats emerging from the roof. I did detect some early Common Pip activity. Then one Common Pip started feeding up and down the side of the house and muffled anything else that might have been around. At least 3 Tawny Owls were heard with a female coming really close in the trees behind me. This was then joined by a Muntjac which barked for the next hour on the other side of the fence to me, obviously annoyed at me being there. So if any other bats were present I didn't have much hope in hearing them. I was getting to the point when I wished the owl would eat the noisy pip and the muntjac eat the owl then bugger off. All that did happen was the first Muntjac was joined by another one which bark along with it! These were then joined by a local dog from the house opposite and this started barking. So all in all a rather noisy night. After the survey had finished I then took the best countryside roads home, hoping to find some new mammals for my list. The best I could muster was a Fox in Akeley and a cat in Nash.
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