Wakey wakey

March is when things start getting exciting again. As temperatures rise and insect numbers begin to recover, Jersey’s bats start waking up properly and emerging in real numbers for the first time since autumn.

Pipistrelles are usually first on the scene, appearing shortly after dusk on warmer evenings — often just 20 or 30 minutes after sunset if conditions are right. The later-emerging species tend to follow once the evenings reliably warm up.

The bats emerging now are hungry. After months of running on reserves, their first priority is food, and they’ll often be seen feeding quite frantically — low, fast passes over ponds, hedgerows, and gardens wherever early insects are gathering.

If you have a bat detector, March is a great time to dust it off. Jersey’s mild spring means the season here tends to get going a little earlier than in mainland Britain, so don’t wait until April — get outside now.