Thriving bat population and rare species discovered at Sutton Hoo, near Woodbridge

One of the UK’s rarest bats has been discovered thriving at a National Trust site in Suffolk thanks to a citizen science partnership.

Transition Woodbridge, a community-led collective, has teamed up with the University of Suffolk’s Wildlife, Ecology, and Conservation Science course to monitor bat populations at Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge.

The discovery of the barbastelle bat, considered rare by the Bat Conservation Trust, is a significant milestone in the ongoing conservation efforts at the site as the species is only found in southern and central parts of England and Wales.

Course leader Dr Mark Bowler said: “Suffolk and Norfolk are really the stronghold for the rare barbastelle bat.

“They are low in density which makes them hard to find, but we find them regularly at Sutton Hoo so it’s a great conservation good-news story in our county.”

The partnership first started collecting data in 2022 by installing audio devices around Sutton Hoo to detect bat movements for two seasons at the end of summer and early autumn.

The project revealed a thriving bat population at the site with hundreds of nightly movements recorded across nine to 10 different bat species.

Along with the rare barbastelle bat, other species in the area include the common pipistrelle which was the most frequently recorded species with up to 900 movements logged per night.

Dr Bowler said: “To most people, Sutton Hoo is the burial site of an Anglo-Saxon ship — but it’s also fantastic for bats and is brilliantly managed for nurturing wildlife.

“Bat numbers are in decline but Sutton Hoo’s bat population is doing really well.

“With Martlesham Wilds and Foxburrow Nature Reserve nearby, it makes a natural triangle with Woodbridge in the middle, so bats move between the reserves through people’s gardens.”

The partnership is now expanding its efforts to involve schools, including primary schools in Woodbridge.

Thanks to funding from East Suffolk Council on behalf of the Greenprint Forum, the group will be installing bat boxes to enhance the schools' grounds as bat-friendly habitats.

Dr Bowler is also encouraging sixth forms and colleges to get involved in the project by conducting bat surveys on school grounds — helping to foster an interest in ecology among students.

Once the recordings are collected and analysed by computer algorithms to identify the species, students from the University of Suffolk spend hours manually verifying the results.

One of these student is Morgan Robbins, a final year Wildlife, Ecology, and Conservation Science student, who has been analysing the recordings and sonograms as part of her dissertation.

She said: “I went around Sutton Hoo lots as a kid and looked at all the old artefacts, which was really cool, but now doing this you see that the area itself is so interesting with such an abundance of rich British wildlife too.

“I really enjoy the data analysis side, and using this experience with a real-life project, it feels great to know I am helping in some way, and it’s great experience as I am now applying for jobs.”

Jane Healey, co-ordinator of the Transition Woodbridge team, said: “We’re loving collaborating with Mark and his team at the University of Suffolk and with Sutton Hoo to get these amazing results.

“People want to help do something positive for nature, and what’s easier than hosting a post in your garden to monitor an indicator species in your very own town? Discovering we have so many species is the icing on the cake.

“It also underlines everyone’s efforts to encourage the habitats, plants and insects that bats like.”

For those wanting to support bat populations in the area, homeowners can make their gardens more bat-friendly by adding ponds, planting native tree and incorporating insect-attracting plants to create a welcoming environment.

Matt Wilson, countryside manager for the National Trust’s Suffolk and Essex portfolio, added: “The survey results are even better than we thought they might be, with audio from nine-to-ten of the UK’s 18 species recorded.

“It’s great to know that both common and rarer bat species, like the barbastelle, are thriving here at Sutton Hoo.”