Chance to hear bat calls at Balderton Lake with St George's Trust free walks

A conservation trust is offering two free bat walks around Balderton Lake with a chance to hear the animal's calls.

St George's Trust will hold the events this Sunday and on Sunday, September 18.

The walks will start at Balderton Lake at 8.30pm and re-group at Newark Library Gardens, off London Road, at 9.45pm.

Walkers will be able to hear the bat calls ­— sonar frequencies that can be heard with a detector.

Debbie and David Moore, of Kirkgate Gallery, were among those who heard the bats' sonar antics on a previous walk.

David said: "It was a wonderful experience, a first for Debbie and I, actually to be able to hear the bat calls. Everybody should be able to have this experience."

Darren Riley, of Balderton, added: "I thoroughly enjoyed the bat walk, it was very interesting and there were so many different species, amazing."

Balderton Lake is home to Daubentons Bats, a bat that feeds over water. The trust also found Brown Long-eared Bats and Noctules in a survey in March.

Both the lake and the Library Gardens host Common and Soprano Pipistrelles.

St George's Trust for Conservation has been offering bat nights throughout August to support community groups SWAN at Balderton Lake and Protect Newark's Green Spaces at Newark Library Gardens.

It is also offering to help other community groups with bat location before bats enter hibernation during October.