I spotted a bat in the wood store last summer and took a blurry picture. 
I thought I’d send it to the lady who did the bat survey (you need this bit of paper to get planning permission). Now I thought it looked on the big side and there was something a bit odd about the face (nose in particular), but she’s just come back and identified it as a greater horseshoe! Now Britain has 15 species of bat (plus one recent extinction) and the greater horseshoe is among the five rarest. Of course this could be a false alarm – even an expert must struggle with this photo – but it’s an exciting thought, particularly when the original bat survey came up with a total blank. In other words, doing the place up has actually enhanced its value for wildlife. But for those visiting between Christmas and Easter, don’t bother looking. Our visitor will be over-wintering in a cave or tunnel somewhere else.
