AT the July meeting, members and guests enjoyed a talk on bats by John Wallard from the Warwickshire Bat Group.

Many people were surprised how many bats are to be found in Warwickshire.

The complex lives of these tiny animals was explained, from the difficulty of giving birth while hanging from a wall to the impossibility of maintaining a constant temperature in such a small body.

The roosting of bats in the roofs of houses led to a discussion on the laws concerning bat protection. It is illegal to disturb a roost whether or not bats are present.

The talk was followed by a expedition to the river bank armed with bat detectors to see what could be found.

Lots of Pipistrelle bats were about and there were glimpses of the apparently fishing Daubenton bats skimming along the surface of the river to catch insects.

At the next meeting on Tuesday, September 17, which takes place at the town hall at 8pm, Martin Gough, the owner of the Minerva Mill building in Alcester. will talk about its history and future.