Creatures of the Night revealed at Severn Valley Country Park this Friday

Shropshire Council rangers are inviting visitors to discover the nocturnal animals that live at Severn Valley Country Park. “Creatures of the Night” will be held on Friday 29 April 2016 at 7.30pm-9.30pm at Severn Valley Country Park.

The park is equally full of activity at night as it is during the day, and this family event is the perfect chance to find out which creatures of the night appear when the sun goes down.

The park provides a good variety of habitats for mammals, invertebrates and amphibians. This time of year is suited for searching for newts as they do their mating dance in the margins of the park’s pools and also to use bat detectors to listen to bats feeding on midges. Pipistrelle bats can eat up to 3000 midges per night meaning the swarms dancing over the Severn are a tasty meal for them.

The Miner’s Bridge over the river is an important site for bats and it was designed to be as bat-friendly as possible including having honeysuckle planted next to the retaining wall to attract flying insects.

Ed Andrews, parks and countryside officer, said:

“This event will allow our visitors to discover a new world of wildlife. Visitors will start in the centre to discover the secrets of bat echolocation; then they will head out onto the park for a ranger-led walk which will finish on the river bank where visitors will look for Daubentons bats skimming along the surface of the water.”

“Creatures of the Night” will be held on Friday 29 April 2016 at 7.30pm-9.30pm at Severn Valley Country Park, Alveley, Bridgnorth, WV15 6NG. Booking and payment in advance are essential. Adult £5, child £3, family (2 adults and up to 3 children) £12. Please call 01746 781192. Visitors are advised to dress in warm clothing and bring a torch.