Ecosupport Ltd.

🌍Independent ecological consultancy
🌿Ecological assessments
🦇Protected species surveys
🌱Mitigation & enhancement
🌻Ecological management & solutions

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

Did you know dormice hibernate at ground level?💤 They create tightly woven nests about the size of a tennis ball and curl up inside with their tail wrapped around their face and body to stay warm—just like the cutie in this picture!🐭

#HazelDormouse #UKWildlife #Ecology

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

😴 Did you know there are only three UK mammals that truly hibernate? Dormice, bats and hedgehogs!🐭🦇🦔

Hibernating is a state of inactivity characterised by lower body temperature, slower breathing and heart rate, and lower metabolic rate 💤

#UKWildlife #Hibernation

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

Our habitats team have been busy creating a new hedgehog hibernation feature and planting native trees for the local community!🦔🪵🍂🌳

Small steps like these make a big difference for wildlife and help keep our environment thriving🙌🏼

#WildlifeConservation #LocalCommunity

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

Rolling into the weekend like…🦡

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

Some of our ecologists recently attended a bat trapping training course, where they expanded their skills in handling, species identification, and more!👏🏼

Here are some of the species found during the course:

🦇 Soprano Pipistrelle
🦇 Noctule
🦇 Daubenton’s
🦇 Bechstein’s

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

Have you ever seen a slow worm with blue spots?🐍 💙

This unique coloration is most commonly seen in older males and becomes more prominent during the mating season, serving as a display to attract females and ward off rivals!🐍

#SlowWorm #MatingSeason #UKWildlife #Reptiles

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

These bat-tastic pictures were taken by one of our project ecologists on a recent ECoW!🦇

📆 Bats in May:
🦇 Bats are now fully active and feeding
🦇 Females start forming maternity colonies and looking for suitable nursery sites
🦇 Males roost on their own or in small groups

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

One of our project ecologists recently caught this super cute video of a bat yawning!😍

📆 April bat facts:

🦇 Bats have mainly come out of hibernation
🦇 They are hungry and active and will be feeding on most nights🦟
🦇 They can become torpid again when cold🥶

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

Hedgehogs, dormice and bats... what do they all have in common?🦔🐭🦇

They are the only mammals in the UK that hibernate!😴💤

#UKWildlife #Hedgehog #HazelDormouse #Bats #Hibernation

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

🦇 Bats in March 📆

🦇 After spending the winter in hibernation, bats may begin to emerge and signs of limited activity can be seen 💤
🦇 Small numbers of bats will be feeding as it gets warmer 🦟
🦇 Bats may become torpid in bad weather 🌧️

#Bats #UKWildlife #BatsinMarch

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

Hazel dormice spend the winter in hibernation and will start to emerge during March🐭💤

Did you know that males will generally awaken about two weeks before females?🐭

#HazelDormouse #Dormouse #Hibernation #WildlifeinMarch

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

These awesome pictures were taken by one of our Project Ecologists whilst carrying out a hibernation check!🦇💤

The species pictured are:
🦇 Greater horseshoe bat
🦇 Lesser horseshoe bat
🦇 Natterer's bat

#Bats #Hibernating #Hibernationcheck #Ecology

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

Our team feel incredibly lucky to have spotted the Northern Bald Ibis on our recent trip to Spain!🍀

The Northern Bald Ibis is one of the most endangered migratory bird species worldwide, so to see them in their natural habitat was a very special experience🥰✨

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

🦇Just hangin' out🦇

One of our ecologists took these incredible pictures during a hibernation survey!📸

Many species were found, including Natterer's, Daubenton's, brown long-eared, and pipistrelles!🦇

#HibernationSurvey #Ecology #BatSpecies #Bats #UKWildlife

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

One of our ecologists saved this baby wood mouse (also known as a field mouse) during a recent ECoW🐭

Did you know?
🐭 Wood mice can shed the skin on their tail in a bid to escape predators😮

#ECoW #WoodMouse #Ecology #SpeciesProtection

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

Coprinus comatus - commonly known as shaggy inkcap, lawyer's wig, or shaggy mane🍄

Here you can see how the inkcap 'auto digests' into a thick inky liquid that drips from the cap's edges and is full of fungal spores. This liquefying aids the important dispersal of the spores🍄

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

🌳Tree Week🌳

Did you know that Kingley Vale in West Sussex has a grove of ancient trees which are estimated to be amongst the oldest living things in Britain?😮 It also has one of the finest yew forests in Western Europe!🌳

#NationalTreeWeek #YewTree #TreeFacts

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

We found this common frog under one of the mats on a reptile survey last month!🐸

Sadly, like many other species, frogs and toads have suffered dramatic declines due to habitat loss and fragmentation🛣 You can help our froggy friends by building a pond in your garden!⛲🐸

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

Our ecologists found this 27g male dormouse on a recent dormouse survey!🐭 Hazel dormice weigh between 15-30g, but can fatten up to 35g just before hibernation😴

How adorable is he?🥰

#HazelDormouse #Dormouse #Ecology #UKWildlife #WildlifeConservation

[Ecosupport Ltd. @ecosupportltd]

We have been spotting glow worms recently on our reptile surveys💡🐛

Did you know glow worms aren't worms at all? They’re actually beetles!😮

#GlowWorms #Wildlife #Bioluminescence #Ecology