All systems go

April is one of the best months to watch bats in Jersey. The evenings are still light enough to actually see what’s going on, insect numbers are climbing, and the bats are out with real enthusiasm after a long winter.

This is also the month when roost activity starts picking up. Female grey long-eared bats begin returning to their maternity roosts from mid-April — the same granite-roofed buildings they come back to year after year — gathering ahead of the breeding season. The loyalty these bats show to specific roost sites is remarkable; there are documented cases of colonies returning to buildings even after significant structural changes.

You might notice bats investigating buildings more actively at this time of year, checking for entry points to familiar roosts. If you see bats going in and out of your roof or walls, that’s a great sign — please do let us know. Roost records are genuinely valuable to our understanding of Jersey’s bat population.

April bat walks are some of our favourites. If the Jersey Bat Group has any events lined up this spring, now is the time to come along.