As darkness fell across the Ouse Burn Way on the 22 May 2026, 8 groups set out simultaneously to discover the bats using this important urban wildlife corridor. Armed with bat detectors, thermal cameras and identification guides, participants explored nature reserves, ponds, allotments and urban spaces, building a snapshot of bat activity from the River Tyne to near the source of the burn.
The evening produced records of 6 bat species; Common and Soprano Pipistrelles, Noctules, Daubenton’s (aka the ‘water bats’), Natterer’s and a Whiskered/Brandt’s. Along the way, participants also encountered a remarkable variety of other wildlife, proving that bat walks are rarely just about bats.
Gosforth Nature Reserve – Amy Beckford and Siobhan Bailey (Northumberland Bat Group)
Gosforth Nature Reserve produced one of the evening’s most impressive Noctule displays, with a wonderful display of the bats foraging over the woodland meadow with a peak count of 7 at one time! As darkness deepened, the group were met with the familiar sound of Soprano Pipistrelles which are abundant at the reserve and roost in the nearby bat boxes. The occasional Common Pipistrelle made itself known too! Pipistrelle activity was particularly high around the reserve’s recently created Whitecroft Wetlands, and later analysis also confirmed the presence of a Daubenton’s bat (a water specialist)! Also apparently enjoying the show was a Bittern which treated the group to its unmistakable booming call.
“We applaud the group’s enthusiasm and skill at using their batty ID sheets to identify their own bat calls with the Magenta bat detectors. We hope they learned some valuable bat knowledge and come along to future batty events!”
Amy Beckford, Northumberland Bat Group/JBA
Havannah Nature Reserve – Jon Devlin (EcoNorth) and Ellie Davison (NHSN)
Despite an abundance of Midges (a Pipistrelle’s favourite snack!), the first hour was very quiet on the bat front. Instead, Roe Deer, frogs and leeches provided entertainment. Everyone’s patience was rewarded though once the group arrived at the main lake, with Common and Soprano Pipstrelles foraging back and forth along the tree line, the occasional plodding call of the Noctule, and Daubenton’s (aka the ‘water bats’) skimming the surface of the lake, their silvery tummies just visible in the fading light. On the way back to the car park, another myotis species was recorded as it zoomed over everyone’s heads. Myotis bats are fiendishly difficult, or impossible, to identify in the field, so it wasn’t until later that it was confirmed to be a Natterer’s bat! This brought Havannah’s bat species count up to 5, making it the joint highest site for bat species diversity of the night (tied with Woolsington Parish Ponds).
Three Mile Allotments – Julian Thomas (NHSN volunteer) and Fiona Muir (EcoNorth)
At Three Mile Allotments, a group of mostly first-time bat watchers started the evening by walking up and down Mortuary Lane along the Ouse Burn, almost immediately detecting a Common Pipistrelle hunting up and down the stream. The group then moved into the allotment site, following the site boundary before gathering beside the trees. Soon, the group was able to observe many Common and Soprano Pipistrelles which put on a display, flying low over the plots, making a ‘raspberry’ sounding feeding buzz as they honed in on insects.
Lower Ouseburn – Heather Devey (Wild Intrigue)
In the Lower Ouseburn Valley, the evening began with the evening calls of the Kittiwakes, carried over on a mild breeze from the River Tyne. Attendees then were able to enjoy the pre-roost flights of Sand Martins before we set off – finishing off the ‘day shift’ to hunt aerial insects before the bats emerge – until they settled into their urban nest chambers at the mouth of the burn. Following the burn upstream attendees were treated to the first tell-tale clicks and clacks from the bat detectors as the Common Pipistrelles emerged at Crawford’s Bridge! The group watched as they dipped and darted above the Bramble. Soon, the first ‘feeding buzz’ was heard as the bats honed in on their prey. A great action-packed start to the evening, where Common Pipistrelles continued to hunt in Ouseburn Woods and City Stadium, and along the lower burn after dark. Throughout the evening, the group chatted about the value of dark corridors for bats and other wildlife, and of replicating natural processes in urban habitat management – kindly demonstrated by the bats which hunted above the newly restored City Stadium grassland!
For the past seven years, through experiences and surveys undertaken through the Wild Ouseburn initiative, we have only ever recorded Common Pipistrelles here – however we all enjoyed watching as these tiny twilight explorers amplified their calls under the bridges, shared social ‘screams’ with one another, and hunted the increasing diversity of insects of the valley.
Heather Devey, Wild Intrigue
Weetslade Country Park – Laura Anderson (NHSN volunteer) and Tom Jepson (Northumberland Wildlife Trust)
At Weetslade Country Park, the wildlife spectacle started well before the bats emerged, with Lapwings, Yellowhammers, Swallows and even a Barn Owl recorded! As darkness deepened, Noctules, Common Pipistrelles and Soprano Pipistrelles took over the night shift, much to the delight of the locals who came along to learn more about the bats on their doorstep.
Woolsington Parish Ponds – Ellesse Janda (EcoNorth), John Littleton and Joanne Couchman (Woolsington Parish Council)
Woolsington Parish Ponds recorded some of the highest bat species diversity of the night (tied with Havannah Nature Reserve) with 5 species recorded; Common and Soprano Pipistrelles, Noctules, Natterer’s and a Whiskered/Brandt’s. The ponds are incredibly important for wildlife, and the group enjoyed listening to Chiff Chaff, Robin, and Blackbird which were calling right until dusk. Other wildlife highlights included a large flock of Jackdaws with their characteristic ‘chack-chack’ calls, a Tawny Owl ‘twit twoo-ing’, and several fish helping themselves to flies on the pond surface.
“It was brilliant to see bat enthusiasts of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels come together to appreciate the local wildlife at the ponds.”
Ellesse Janda, EcoNorth
Great Park – Alex Kennair (Total Ecology and NHSN volunteer) and Lucy Ingham (Northumberland Wildlife Trust)
An enthusiastic bunch of bat lovers set their sights on Great Park. Just as evening grew darker and the tolerance for Alex’s jokes wore thin, the bats started emerging with Common Pipistrelles first out, darting between the hedgerows. Then Noctules came soon after, flying high above the trees, and last but not least the Soprano Pipistrelles put on a show, circling around us hunting tiny insects above our heads.
Heaton Park – Rowan Bagenal-Lowe and Emily Anderson (NHSN)
The warm, still summer evening began with picnicking people playing music and singing on the grass, while the group of bat lovers headed for the trees and along the winding paths armed with bat detectors. The bats did not disappoint, and the group really got into it, asking loads of questions and sharing their experiences with bats here and abroad. An abundance of Common and Soprano Pipistrelles foraged across Heaton park and towards the burn, some really putting on a show under the street lights, and the occasional Noctule made an appearance with its slow, deliberate, ‘chip-chop’ call.
Across all sites, the enthusiasm of participants was every bit as impressive as the bats themselves. Whether hearing echolocation for the first time, learning to interpret detector calls or spotting wildlife at dusk with their eagle eyes, attendees helped create a valuable snapshot of bat activity along the Ouse Burn Way. Thank you to all the walk leads, partner organisations and attendees who made the first Big Bat BioBlitz such a magical night!