As dusk falls over a Hampshire chalk stream, those looking skyward may see strange shadows flit into view. Charismatic and enigmatic in equal measure, bats are some of the UK’s most fascinating animals. Our county’s chalk streams, each humming with insects, make it an attractive place for these winged wonders.

Many different bat species frequent our waterways, from the high-flying noctule to the diminutive soprano pipistrelle. The Daubenton’s bat is even called the “water bat” for its love of ponds, lakes, and rivers. When the sun goes down, this aerial expert can be seen swooping close to the water in search of a tasty meal.

Every bat species has its favourite food, but all feast on various types of insects. Chalk stream residents like mayflies and caddisflies are on the menu, as are mosquitoes, moths, and beetles. The tiny size of their prey means that bats spend a lot of time hunting – the common pipistrelle can eat 3,000 insects in one night!

While their abundant insect life makes them great places for feeding, our chalk streams have more to offer. Bankside trees supply temporary shelter, while bridges provide potential roosting spaces. Female bats roost together in the summer, when they have their babies, and all bats hibernate in roosts during the winter.

Sadly, like many wildlife species, the UK’s bats are struggling to thrive. Loss of habitat, shrinking insect populations, artificial light, disease, and pollution have caused their numbers to decline in recent years. Luckily, there are people who are passionate about helping these amazing animals.

Hampshire Bat Group is a charity staffed entirely by volunteers. They spread the word about our local bat species, undertake bat surveys, and care for bats that have been orphaned or injured. Since 2020, they have also been running the North Hampshire Bat Box Project.

The project has made great progress, and the Watercress and Winterbournes partners have been delighted to support its expansion. In 2022, an initial Community Grant of £2,000 allowed the group to install 30 bat boxes in and around Alresford. This year, a second grant of £2,800 was used to install 35 boxes in the Overton area.

Each of these towns is home to a chalk stream - the River Arle and Upper Test respectively. Both are frequented by various bat species, making them great places to give our flying friends a boost. By providing safe places to rest, the boxes will help to protect and expand our local bat populations.

Specially licensed Hampshire Bat Group volunteers will check the boxes twice a year, looking for signs of use. The results will be added to their database - which informs bat conservation both locally and nationally - and shared with the Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre (HBIC).

In the video below, we spent a day with volunteers as they installed bat boxes close to Overton. Give it a watch to see some of the boxes in situ and hear from Graeme Sheppard - the Project Manager - on why the project matters for our bat populations.

How you can help

If you’d like to support our local bats, there are many ways to do so. You could hang your own bat box on a tree, or on a wall of your home. You could also turn your garden into a bat haven – try adding a pond, reducing artificial light, and planting night-scented flowers.

You could also get involved in the work of Hampshire Bat Group by becoming one of their volunteers. They provide training on conducting bat surveys, using bat detectors, and monitoring bat populations. It's a great way to learn more about these fascinating animals!

We are delighted to have supported the North Hampshire Bat Box Project. If you have a chalk stream project idea, you could receive up to £5,000 to make your vision a reality. Check out the Watercress and Winterbournes Community Grant Scheme to learn more.

Learn about Community Grants

Learn about Watercress and Winterbournes