The Wildlife Conservation Society at Melbourne Uni came to the Park in force on Saturday.
Their tasks were to finish microbat box numbering, record the facing direction, and measure the heights of the nest boxes erected for microbats. We do this to see what different heights might mean for occupation.
Meanwhile, our regular microbat crew attached temporary foil trays beneath 5 of the nest boxes so we might see evidence of occupation in the form of poo.
And if you ever wondered about bat poo, here’s some helpful advice from the SA Government:
If you have microbats living in your roof or chimney, you’re likely to see their poo lying around. It’s very similar to mouse poo in size, shape and colour, but the consistency is much drier.
If you’re looking at a little black poo and wondering whether it came from a bat or a mouse, put on rubber gloves and roll one between your finger and thumb. Mouse poo will squash, while bat scat crumbles.
We will be monitoring microbat nest boxes monthly now that spring brings warmer weather and microbats will be out foraging after their winter torpor.
Come and join us to learn about microbats and monitor their presence at Westgate Park – 1-3pm on the first Saturday of each month, meet at the BBQ shelter.