The Lincolnshire Bird Club

The following request has come from Annette Faulkner the Lincolnshire Bat Recorder who recently acquired a list of pre 1979 bat records, ex the LNU mammal recorder of the time, Maurice Johnson. One set of records involves accidental catches in mist nets by birders, including one called J(ohn?) East, operating in the Wragby/Horncastle area in the 1960s?

The site Annette is particularly interested in is 'sand pits' at West Ashby, which I presume are the pits at TF2572, now called Ashby Park. In the 60s or 70s there was a sand martin colony there - and they (birders?) were catching whiskered/ Brandt's bats coming out of the sand martin holes! This is an amazing record and I wonder whether any of the older Bird Club (Silver Listers?) members have any info about the colony and can pinpoint the location. Equally, if anyone knows of its continuing existence, whether a) there may still be whiskered/ Brandt's bats co-habiting and b) what the potential is for access if anyone in the Bat Group wanted to follow this up.

Please reply to this posting, or direct to me or Annette Faulkner (a.faulkner@care4free.net)

Regards

Andrew

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Andrew Chick
Website: http://www.forktail.co.uk/

Andy

There is a small pit just east of the West Ashby Complex which I believe is a small nature reserve or Stewardship Scheme. There are Sand Martins in the sand banks there.

Russell

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http://birdmanbirds.blogspot.com/

John East was my original ringing trainer but these dates are even before my time as I haven't quite got my bus pass! I can tell you that Colin Smith (County Moth Recorder) and myself ringed Sand Martins at West Ashby in the early 1980's before the then sand quarry was filled in to make way for what is now called Ashby Park. I have no current or historical bat records in that area. However, three people who were ringing around that time who could probably assist are Ann Goodall, Janet Eastmead and, particularly, Chris Dobson who ringed with John at that time. Hope that helps.