Winter is a difficult time for many of our wild mammals.

The cold weather limits the greenery available from potential food plants forcing all but the most determined insects to choose a secluded spot to over winter in a dormant phase, or conceal themselves in well-camouflaged places going deep into hibernation.

All of this occurs at a time of year when the colder temperatures require the mammals to spend even more food energy just to stay warm. Hence, it is not too surprising that nearly all our wild smaller mammals also choose to over winter in hibernation.

In this state, mammals can reduce their heart rate and even lower their body temperature so that they use as little energy as possible over this period. Probably the most famous hibernating animal has to be the dormouse, which owes its fame to the Alice in Wonderland story. Indeed, dormice are quite incredibly good at hibernating and have been known on occasions, particularly during poor winters to hibernate for a period of over 6 months.

While dormice may hibernate for the longest period they are also extremely secretive creatures. It is still possible to encounter them in the Wyre Forest District albeit very rarely. To a lesser extent the same is true for a lot of our smaller mammals, but there is one I have to admit I will miss more than others come the end of this month - the noctule bat. It's possibly one of our more conspicuous small mammals in Wyre Forest, but is often overlooked.

The noctule is usually the first bat to take to the air in the evening. It is Britain's biggest bat, with a wingspan of up to 40cm, and a pale brown underbelly that catches the light of the setting sun making it very easy to see, particularly if you know where to look. Noctules fly high and often compete for insects with swifts and house martins at an altitude of around 200m and occasionally up to 1,000m.

My favourite spot is on top of Ridgestone rock in Habberley Valley where, on nearly every fine evening up to an hour before dusk I usually encounter a few of them flying at eye level over the woodland.

It is even possible to hear these bats as their ultrasound echolocation calls are of a much lower frequency than other bats and just about audible to us humans. Every so often as you watch these bats, they enter into a steep spiralling dive and skim just over the woodland canopy as they chase after a juicy fly.

At the end of this month they will retreat into a disused woodpecker hole or a crack in a tree. I will then have to wait for the first days of spring to enjoy the spectacle of one of Britain's most under-celebrated wild mammals.