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Trees woods and wildlife
Brown long-eared bat
Known as the 'whispering' bat for its almost silent echolocation noises, this little bat's huge ears make it an expert woodland insect hunter.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Bank vole
Stout but speedy, the bank vole skitters around woodland and dense vegetation looking for blackberries, nuts and fungi. It uses its large ears to listen out for its many predators, such as the fox and kestrel.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Brandt's bat
Small and shaggy, this pink-faced bat is often found in wet woodland. Keep your eyes peeled for them at dusk when they come out to hunt.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Lesser horseshoe bat
Plum-sized and pink-faced, the lesser horseshoe bat is one of the smallest bats in the UK. Look out for them at dusk in woodland, but not in winter when they hibernate underground in caves and tunnels.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Soprano pipistrelle bat
The soprano pipistrelle bat is a widespread species that hunts close to water and can be found in woods and gardens.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Serotine bat
One of the largest British bats, the serotine has a taste for beetles and other flying insects. Listen for the squeaking sound it makes just before emerging at dusk to hunt.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Bechstein's bat
This elusive tree lover hunts, mates, and lives in woodland, relying on old trees for roosting sites. Loss of habitat means this once common species is now one of our rarer bats.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Noctule bat
Often seen flying high above the tree-tops, the noctule bat is the largest bat in the UK. This species relies on tree holes to roost in and is often confused for a swift when on the wing.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Barnacle lichen
Looking like little barnacles growing on tree trunks, get to know barnacle lichen which you'll find on the bark of living trees in ancient wood.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Badger
Big families, big appetites and big personalities. Badgers are a wood's ruling clan, often occupying the same sett for generations and laying a network of well-trodden paths through the undergrowth. They’re playful, house proud and expert foragers.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Greater horseshoe bat
Rare and highly agile. Look out for the greater horseshoe bat along woodland edges at dawn and dusk. The longest-lived bat in the UK, it has become scarce due to a loss of insect prey and habitat.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Willow, bay
Small but pretty, the bay willow is named after its smell and misleading appearance. It’s a lover of damp conditions, and feeder of pollinators and caterpillars.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Barbastelle bat
Distinctive, rare, elusive. The barbastelle bat lives in deciduous woodland and looks unlike any other bat. If you’re lucky, you might spot it hunting in wet woodland.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Natterer’s bat
Foliage foragers and cave-dwelling contortionists, these ‘red-armed bats’ are expert hunters and can squeeze themselves into the tightest of spaces.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Barn owl
With bright white feathers and a distinctive heart-shaped face, there’s no mistaking the barn owl. Catching sight of one on the wing is always a delight.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Daubenton’s bat
A flying mammal with an aquatic edge. These bats are drawn to water, snatching insects from the surface of rivers and lakes.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Leisler's bat
Tree-dwellers with a lion-like appearance, these fast-flying bats are scarce throughout Britain but common in Ireland.
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London Borough of Barnet Wood
Barnet Gate Wood
Greater London
5.14 ha (12.70 acres)
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Trees woods and wildlife
Why bats need woods and trees
The UK is home to 18 species of bats, all of which are protected by law. This protection extends to their breeding and resting places. Hedgerows, tree lines and watercourses are important to the roosting, foraging and navigation needs of bats.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Great spruce bark beetle
The great spruce bark beetle damages spruce trees by tunnelling into the bark. This pest was accidentally introduced into the UK in 1982 and now has become established in Western England, Wales and Southern Scotland.