Annual General Meeting Followed by a talk: Return of the Greater Horseshoe Bat

By member, Martyn Phillis
Excitedly, Martyn was present, from the very beginning, at the discovery of a maternity roost of this rare bat, located in South-East England.  Found between Midhurst and Petworth the exact location cannot be revealed until the site is properly secured.
In February 2019, Scotty Dodd was undertaking an ecological survey and saw a bat roosting in a hanging downwards posture.  Martyn and Tony Hutson (an international bat expert) were able to confirm it was an immature female Greater Horseshoe Bat.  Later that year more females and even a one-day old baby were identified by sonograms and the next year one of Martyn’s photographs revealed a baby clinging to its mother.  All this evidence confirmed it was a maternity roost.
Vincent Wildlife Trust (to whom this Society contributed £1000) and Sussex Bat group will be monitoring and carrying out conservation work in the future.
Martyn’s audience was so appreciative of his knowledge and admired his on-going enthusiasm.