Most people see bats as bloodsucking rodents who prey upon an unsuspecting host, but in actuality these furry flyers are quite fragile, and their habits are under threat. Bat populations have declined in the last 100 years due to several, mostly human, factors such as loss of roosting, disturbances during hibernation, and loss of habitat.

Sarah Capes, Jesmond City Council ranger for almost 10 years, works to build homes for the bats in Jesmond and spread knowledge, which she hopes will lead to conservation. She hosted the bat tour throughout the Dene.

The Jesmond Dene is home to many species of bats including the Pipistrelle, which can consume as many as 3,000 insects in one night, and the Daubenton bat, which feeds by skimming the surface of water. Though all of the bats in the UK are from the micro-bat family, and are thus relatively small, they can be still be seen flying spastically near the tree lines feeding on insects during the summer months.

Despite their supposed decline Sarah said that our walk was one of the best she’d seen on a warm May evening, emphasizing that the bats have preserved a number of roosts right here in Newcastle – despite all the doom and gloom surrounding these creatures, it looks like they will be around for some time to come in the north east.