Batty boat trip to the Filter Beds and beyond

 

During a London Bat Group Batty Boat Trip (8.6.12) there was a strong south-westerly  wind creating waves over the river making it unsuitable for feeding.  This is usually an excellent foraging area for several bat species including Leisler's and Noctule bats as well as the occasional serotine bat and three Myotis species, including Daubenton's bat.

See more about Cigarette Island opposite Hampton Court Palace.

The ancient name of Cigarette Island was 'The Sterte', mentioned as early as 1306, and which almost certainly comes from the Old English word 'Steart', a tail of land, an apt description of its situation between the two rivers.

In 1843 it was called 'Davis's Ait' after the family of Davis who at one time kept the nearby Castle Inn. The present name derives from a houseboat called Cigarette which used to be moored here. Now, no longer a true island, the name is applied to the five acres of public open space behind the station.