Bats about Habitat First Group

Over the last 20 years Lower Mill Estate has concentrated its efforts on providing artificial roosting sites for bats by installing bat boxes on buildings, under bridges and at various locations around the site, as well as converting the roof voids of several bin store buildings on site into bat roosts. With an abundance of foraging habitat and a good population of insect prey, it is no surprise that these artificial roosts are regularly used by species including the Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), Soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) and Natterer’s bats (Myotis nattereri).

 Lower Mill Estate by Luxury Marketing House

Excitingly, in recent months the Estate has discovered that the Habitat Houses on site are living up their name and are being regularly used by roosting bats. Bat droppings discovered at specific sites on the outside of the Habitat House were sent to Ecowarwicker Ecological Forensics for DNA analysis to confirm the species. The results of the analysis came back as positive for Natterer’s bat. Known for using small cracks and crevices in buildings and trees for roosting, the species has been using the gaps behind the wooden cladding on the Habitat House for roosting.  It is now intended to carry out bat surveys over the summer months in the villages on the Estate to determine which other species are present and where they may be roosting.

 Lower Mill Estate by Luxury Marketing House

With similar style of housing being built at Habitat First Group’s Silverlake site in Dorset it is hoped that the local bat population there will also benefit from new roosting sites. Meanwhile the bats are already making good use of the bat boxes installed on the boat stores in the villages and the unique bat loft created for Brown long-eared bats (Plecotus auritus) has recently been used by both Brown-long eared bats and Common pipistrelles. Perhaps the only bat loft in the country built from an old quarry sandhopper, this bat loft is a super example of HFGs commitment to sustainability supporting the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle principle.

Habitat First Group has a great reputation for building alongside nature and Lower Mill Estate is thought to support the largest House martin colony in the UK thanks to installing 60 artificial house martin nests 12 years ago. The artificial nests were soon used by the House martins arriving in the summer from Africa and year on year the number of birds has increased until there are now on average of 200 nests annually.  In coming months 150 nest boxes designed to support House sparrows (Passer domesticus) are to be installed around the buildings on the Estate. These birds are now on the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) Red-list of birds of conversation concern following a decline of over 65% in their population numbers population over a 30-year period. It is hoped that the new project at Lower Mill Estate will help boost the numbers of these gregarious birds. Silverlake is set to follow suit and be a leader in building alongside nature as it progresses over the coming years.

For more information on Silverlake, Lower Mill Estate and the Habitat First Group, visit www.habitatfirstgroup.com 

Papping Bats on Social Media by Liz Vinson

Do you remember the days of taking your precious roll of film to be developed? Did you spend the extra £££ for an hour’s developing or were you able to wait the three days to see what you had captured?

Oh! gone are those days; I remember the thrill of opening the paper wallet in the shop, like Charlie Bucket carefully unwrapping the Wonka Bar – how many photos would be in focus? How many would have been graffitied by the developer with a sticker saying it was over exposed or suchlike? And had you got away with accidentally opening the back of the camera before the film had rewound?

Then there would be the hours spent first showing all your friends and family the photos (“don’t put your fingers on the image, Grandpa, please”) followed by carefully placing your treasured images into an album, editing the best and writing a caption, “If only I had remembered to put the flash on” or “in the distance you can see…”

I remember the first time I saw a digital camera being used, I thought I would never use one because it would spoil the excitement of waiting to see what you had captured! Also, I thought the images would be so grainy they would be like the old Disc Cameras (remember them?!).

My first digital camera was actually a Nokia mobile phone – it boasted a 10 megapixel camera, and I happily filled its memory with random images – none of which, had I taken them with my trusty old point-and-click, would’ve made it past the album cutting-room floor!

After a very short time the novelty of printing out every image petered out, and my albums fell into a dusty retirement.

With the age of the smartphone came social media – somewhere for you to post every image you like for all your friends and complete strangers to look at and critique!

So where do bats come into this do I hear you ask?

“In the United Kingdom it is an offence to intentionally disturb bats or their roosts and this includes any photography without an appropriate license. As a licenced batworker / bat carer I have always exercised extreme caution when photographing bats out on surveys, and have never once used a flash. But then I wonder: should I share the photographs? If I do, who’s to say that unlicenced or untrained people will think it’s ok to start “papping” bats too?

With the ease of snapping just about everything thanks to smartphones, together with the recent flood of social media sites purely for sharing photographs (Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, etc.), it is inevitable that unsuspecting members of the public across the world will happily share photos they have taken of bats: bats on walls, bats on the ground, bats in their natural habitat. And who wouldn’t? How many people actually get the chance to get up close and personal with a bat? 

Many of  these images (in the UK and further afield) come from people who have found the bat during the daytime and need some advice or identification, and so have taken to social media for assistance – something the Bat Conservation Trust is excellent at responding to in a timely fashion.

And then there are the sad images I have found whilst searching #bat on sites such as Instagram – most recently a horrific photo from the US of a bat trapped in a toilet bowl, and a vitriolic comment saying they had “flushed the beast back to the depths of hell where it belonged”.

So, for me, there will be no more searching for bat-related images on such sites, as it only makes me cross to see images and statements like that – no matter how ignorant the user.

But as a bat carer I want to spread bat knowledge far and wide, and I do photograph every rescue which comes into my care, although I don’t photograph deceased animals or animals with terminal injuries, as I find them distressing enough to deal with.

Rescued soprano and common pipistrelle (photo by Liz Vinson)

How to transmit these images safely in social media terms?

I am often asked whether bats bite, and I say that we always recommend anyone rescuing a bat wears gloves or at least wraps the animal in a tea towel. If asked, I confirm that I cannot recall ever being bitten by a bat that had come into my care – which is the truth. However, these are wild animals and if they feel threatened they may act like it, hence the necessity for gloves or other protection.

I was trained never to handle without gloves, even if they were long term care bats, and, although it can make things a bit tricky, I manage. I was also told to never publish any photographs of bats in the hand unless I was wearing gloves. 

Rescued brown long-eared bat (Photo by Liz Vinson)

Rescued Common pipistrelle and pup (Photo by Liz Vinson)

Even if the person handling bats in a photo is trained and vaccinated, publishing pictures of them holding bats in un-gloved hands gives members of the public a clouded view of what is safe and recommended. I understand that batworkers wish to show that bats are not threatening, but would simply popping on a pair of gloves really undermine that message?

I find that white cotton gloves, which are available from most good pharmacies, are ideal a. for handling the smaller species and b. for photography purposes. (Although having said that, I have usually just been feeding the bat when I take a photo, and nine times out of ten I have the remnants of their supper somewhere visible on my gloves.) I also like to wrap bats in a soft cloth as it makes them more secure and less wriggly – something every bat carer dreads whilst trying to hand-feed the insides of mealworms to a tiny pipistrelle!

For larger species, such as serotines, I would not recommend anything thinner than a good gardening glove! Cumbersome as they are, I would not want to run the risk of having the bat’s jaw clamped onto my little finger, all for the sake of a good photo!

The pen is mightier than the sword

Almost more important than the image (of a bat in a gloved hand) which you post are the words that you choose.

Put a little statement about the bat, what species, why you have it and what people can do to help if they find a grounded bat.

Choose your #’s wisely!

If they’re not already there, consider adding the hashtags #licencedbatworker and/or #trainedbatcarer to your bio on social media sites. Other useful hashtags are #batsneedfriends, #batconservation, #batcare, #notapet and #protectedspecies.

Tag your local bat group and BCT so that they can like and share your image, helping to spread bat awareness.

And finally try to respond to any comments you may receive, especially those that ask if the bat is a pet!! – I have seen many comments on bat images on social media like “oh I want one” “I need a pet bat” “where can I get one?” and the original poster hasn’t replied at all.

So we can all do our bit for bat conservation awareness on social media, in a manner which should be the norm. It would be extremely detrimental to bat conservation if a member of the public picked up a bat, was bitten and tragically contracted rabies, and then pointed the finger at a bat carer who shared lots of images of bats in un-gloved hands. Food for thought…

Finally, returning to where I started – film canisters – now there was a useful piece of equipment to take on a roost survey for bat poo sample collection!

Gone are the days….

Liz Vinson

VBRV and registered Bat Carer

Self-employed marketing and social media manager

For more information about how to get involved with Bat Rehabilitation: http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/batcare.html

For more information about the importance of wearing gloves when handling bats see: http://www.bats.org.uk/publications_download.php/1352/Wearing_gloves_when_you_handle_bats_2017.pdf

Twilight Bat Walks at Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust – A summary of 2017

by David Jackson

Now that the autumn season is upon us, it provides a great opportunity for the Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust (MEHT for short) to reflect on another hugely successful Bat Walk Programme.
All bat species in the UK are endangered, with populations declining over the past decades; these fascinating mammals are protected by law.  Bats are also a biological indicator species, meaning their presence illustrates high ecosystem functionality and good environmental management.  At the MEHT, we are proud to have high bat activity around the Broomfield Hospital site, with a bat roost of soprano pipistrelles known within our Estates building.  Both soprano & common pipistrelles have been found foraging within our natural areas, feeding on insects during their summer months and highlighting our effective natural management.
Bat walks offer a unique educational opportunity to experience these intriguing creatures, and in 2016 we launched an inaugural Twilight Bat Walk Programme, led by a local bat enthusiast.  The walks proved to be a huge success, providing education in an endangered species whilst promoting healthy walking alternatives within Broomfield Hospital.  Following on from these walks, a larger Twilight Programme was produced for the summer of 2017.

A staggering 400% increase in participation occurred, with over 100 individuals expressing interest, comprising of staff, patients and members of our local community.
Marium, a former Trust Doctor stated ‘I and my three friends thoroughly enjoyed the bat walk, the guide was incredibly knowledgeable.  We heard about the opportunity after a friend was enthusiastically posting about it on Facebook after attending a previous walk!’
Carol, a member in the local community quoted ‘It was a fascinating evening using the monitoring equipment and identifying the sounds.  It's excellent that the hospital invites the public and hosts community events.  The guide’s enthusiasm and passion for bats was lovely to see and it's great to be able to share knowledge’
David Jackson, the bat enthusiast, and now the Trust’s Sustainability Project Coordinator said ‘It’s been great to see the walk participation increase so quickly…educating those in our community about endangered species is hugely valuable to their future conservation, whilst achieving it through the promotions of an active lifestyle.’
Bats are now moving to their hibernation roosts, but keep a look out for promotional materials when the Twilight Bat Walk Programme returns next year.

Bat House extraordinaire!

Darren Henwood contacted the National Bat Helpline recently with a desire to find out more about creating an ideal residence for bats. Darren has now created an extraordinary bat house which he is hoping will be appreciated and used by bats in the area of Essex where he lives. We decided to do an interview with him for this blog to find out more.

Darren Henwood with his 7.5m wide bat house in the background. 

Darren created roughly 21 square meters of accommodation for bats!

1. Can you remember seeing your first bat?

Yes, I saw my first bat when night fishing with my dad when I was about 5-6, made me jump at first but he said to relax and keep and eye around the bushes hanging over the waters edge, my first bat was part of a considerably large amount of bats! :) Looking back there must have been hundreds that night...

2. When did you first contact Bat Conservation Trust and why?

I had recently built a wooden garage at our home, and as we were keen to expand from the chickens we had to more livestock and some conservation factors too, we decided to build a bat roost/home on the flank end, also we had become privy to knowledge that a derelict, old, old pub on the corner of our road (the only other building on it in fact) was due for demolition, so this inspired me to "go big" and try to encourage any residents there to re-home here, I suspected there may have been horseshoe bats and pipistrelles as the roof damage looked promising for both to be there, from what research I had done anyway :) I wanted to basically re-iterate these findings and researched info with a nexus of the right info, so the BCT seemed a logical choice, and Grace was fantastic help sending info to answer all my questions and with some varied plans, so I used this information with that I had researched to try and couple all the elements into what you have called the BHE (which we love here btw!)

Darren is looking forward to the bats moving in

The design is based on the Kent Bat Box

3. What inspired you to create this magnificent bat box/house?

Most of what I said in question 2 is covered for this question, however I also have a keen technology mindset and wanted to be able to get cameras and bat listening devices set up in the BHE so that when (hopefully) it is occupied and I can no longer "intervene" things would be in place to enable the family and I to observe from the house, phone or even at school/college... :) Also once this is in place, if there is any data or information that would be of use to the BCT or other people keen to home bats, then that would be equally fantastic!

4. Do you have a favourite UK bat species? 

I have no favourite species, although my first memories are that of what I now know to be Pipistrelle bats, so would be keen to see them again, and have built a fair %age of the BHE for them to hopefully enjoy, also the lesser horseshoe bat has been accommodated for with plans from both the BCT and other online shares by enthusiasts, I kept the options lower for them as I believe there is a less habiat for the pipistrelle around us, but with all the essex clad barns etc, I think the horseshoes have a good shout in our area.. but then I'm only a few months into checking this all out, so.........

That said, any species would be welcomed as there is the added bonus that we can spend more time outside at night with less chance of being munched on by annoying biting insects :D

5. Any weird/wonderful bat facts or bat experience that you want to share with us?

Nothing that's going to turn heads sadly, but have previously had a bat fly into my landing net when it was set up to dry in the breeze at dusk, I now leave my nets on the ground till daylight/bat free hours :D

6. Why do you think bats are misunderstood or undervalued by so many people?

Late 50's horror films, old wives tales and Christopher Nolan. I would say they are undervalued by people as I feel there is very little useful information generally available, people have to actively seek information, and I suspect many people don't understand or know half of the species (all animals) in this country that could really do with a little help from us Humans... If you asked 100 people if they would have bats roosting in their eves or an eves/wall box they would probably shun them thinking they are blood sucking dirty monsters,,,

7. In your opinion, what is the biggest threat faced by bats?

Ignorance to their need for safe, undisturbed habitat/s and destruction without thought of existing habitat, as we think happened just up from us here.

8. Huge thank you for what you are doing. What advice would you give others who might consider following your example.

Ask questions, no matter how stupid you think they are to recognised bodies such as yourselves at the BCT, I had no practical/useful knowledge of bats so I immediately searched for a good, reliable source of information, as I said earlier Grace was very helpful and I would say anyone wanting to help maintain and help with propagation of bats should ask first, asking isn't a silly thing to do!

A Friend’s Appreciation of Maurice Melzak by Chris Morphet

Maurice was a Zoology graduate with experience working as a researcher for films with Sir David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell. So I came across him as the researcher on a film I was shooting as a cameraman about wildlife in disused power stations. The director badly needed a shot of a fox with a background of a power station, so Maurice was duly instructed to find one, which he was able to do. On the day of the shoot, the fox was released from the cage it had arrived in and I felt really chuffed, as although it all happened in a flash, I managed to pick the fox up in close up, then zoomed out to reveal the power station background. This was all in the days of 16mm film, so on ringing the production company the next day to enquire about the printed rushes,     I heard there had been a kerfuffle. My camerawork and the shot were perfect, but unfortunately on close inspection it was discovered the supposedly wild fox was still wearing its collar. Poor Maurice. The director could be heard shouting in the background “You Left The Collar On Maurice”.

Things progressed upwardly from then on and Maurice soon established himself as a director with his own company Nautilus Films. This was a generally very happy and successful time with Maurice making a good number of mainline TV documentaries. In the year 2000 Maurice made a very positive program for the BBC, “Josie’s Journey”, with Josie Russell and her dad Shaun Russell, about Josie’s recovery from trauma, her burgeoning creative artistic talents, and love of wild animals. On just hearing the news about Maurice, Josie emailed “Oh gosh that’s really sad to hear. It is terribly unhappy news. Maurice was such a nice man and we were hoping one day to make another programme together.” And her father Shaun Russell said “Maurice was the only film-maker who Josie really connected with as a friend, not least because he was always so tender and protective towards her. I think he may have fallen out with the BBC partly as a result of resisting them always seeming to want a more intrusive exploration of Josie’s private life. Josie and I feel a great debt to Maurice for his friendship and the sympathetic way in which he told Josie’s story.”

Around this time Maurice also made several 50 minute C4 documentaries on Rabies and Aquariums, and a memorable C5 series about an academy for crime investigators in Knoxville, Tennessee, with its pioneering body farm. This led to a wonderful film with the brilliant forensic botanist Patricia Wiltshire “The Natural History of Murder”, where we followed how Pat had skilfully nailed various murderers like the Soham murderer, by linking microscopic samples in the ditch from where the bodies were found, to the car tyres and clothing belonging to the perpetrator Ian Huntley.

Maurice continued to do well and we together did a whole run of TV films examining aspects of urban wildlife often featuring experts like pest controllers, zookeepers, and vets.  Pet Patients at The Blue Cross Animal Hospital, London Zoo, Urban Pigeons, Lice, and City Rats were all delved into. Who knew there was a rare colony of rattus rattus, the black tree climbing rat with a long tale, in the vast grain store at Tilbury Docks, where fat pigeons feasted on grain spills from offloading boats, some later to be filmed trapped in large numbers by our pest controller.

Sadly though, the TV world started to change and be taken over by reality TV, celebrity presenters, and more prescriptive and set up film making and programs. Maurice did not have the right skills and personality to sell his often excellent ideas in this new environment. He was also never that interested in either the technicalities or the artistic or stylistic aspects of filmmaking, but rather he had a real passion and interest for the subject matter itself.

Around 2010, disillusioned with the broadcast TV world, Maurice with great enterprise started a new chapter with his website Petstreet. With basic and minimal equipment he shot and edited by himself many terrific short films for showing online. These covered fish, cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, monkeys, lizards, parrots, and snakes, and featured organisations like The RSPCA, The Mayhew, The Dogs Trust, and The Feline Advisory Bureau. There were also useful instructional videos featuring the aptly named vet Cat Henstridge. Not to mention The Snake That Ate The Neighbour’s Cat, another stand out short video at the time.

Petstreet in due course closed down, but Maurice as a solo operator continued to do films like the yearly Animal Wetnose Awards for animal charities. Also, still in hope, he kept finding great subjects about which he made so called teaser or taster tapes to send to TV commissioners with subjects like the wonderful Jenny Clark MBE the Sussex bat rescuer. When I told Maurice we had 2 bats coming out at dusk in the alleyway of our Kilburn house, he was keen to lend me a bat listening device, which was a revelation, as it enhanced and amplified the otherwise inaudible bat sounds.

Although Maurice was now mainly doing the filming himself, I did help out when asked. We made a film with his sister Sheila for her Baobab Centre for Young Survivors. Also a very early short film for The Womens Equality Party here founders Catherine Mayer, Sandi Toksvig and Sophie Walker, were recorded chatting informally sitting around Maurice’s kitchen table.  And when a large and rare species of cave spider called Meta Bourneti was found in the vaults of Egyptian Avenue in the nearby Highgate Cemetery, Maurice called me in to film some big close ups. Also in the cemetery around this time Maurice successfully applied for a grant to put over 100 safe nesting boxes for the birds and the bats up on the trees.

Strangely, we never made a film about the great love of Maurice’s life, his bees and the beehives located in the cemetery. He was very proud, along with fellow beekeeper Ian Creer, of producing such excellent quality honey of impeccable provenance from the many and varied local flowers. Maurice enjoyed his distinctive honey jar label with an image of Karl Marx and underneath the words “Workers Unite”.  A reference to worker bees perhaps.

Maurice also loved walking on the nearby Hampstead Heath and tending his back garden, where he grew some of his own vegetables and even cannabis to try out as an alternative to relieve his pain from cancer. I never did try the cannabis, but we met up regularly to chat either in his kitchen for tea or at one of the local Highgate restaurants. Although on different sides of the North London divide we often watched quite amiably together the keenly contested Arsenal v Spurs derby on his large TV.

In October 2013 perhaps the most bizarre and memorable event, which involved Maurice being interviewed, and his footage used on the news, was the mysterious and sudden appearance of 3 Bennett’s Wallabies in the cemetery. It was a bit of a saga at the time whose outcome was not altogether positive, but for those of us who know the full story, maybe best kept secret, it somehow epitomised the man that was truly Maurice. His intelligent and informed passion for animals, nature, and life itself carried him through.

© Chris Morphet

What should be on the BCT training menu for 2018?

Naomi Webster (Training and Conferences Manager)

Having thoroughly enjoyed my first 8 months as Training and Conferences Manager for BCT, I am now facing the exciting, but also rather intimidating prospect of developing the training programme for 2018. Rather like a chef facing an enticingly stocked larder, I have a veritable smorgas board of batty training choices; a great range of informative and engaging courses that can be delivered by highly experienced experts. But which should I select for the 2018 menu? And where should we serve them up?

With several new dishes added to this season’s menu, I will certainly be monitoring bookings and feedback to see how they are received. The new Bearing Witness for Wildlife training will be taking place in London on 09 November, for anyone wanting to improve their skills in recognising and reporting wildlife crime or when acting as a witness, and the Kaleidoscope Pro course will be taking place in Swindon on 17 October and Leeds on 10 November led by Wildlife Acoustics’ Paul Howden-Leach.

Some familiar topics have already made it onto the list with Bat Ecology and Conservation, Using Bat Detectors and Surveying for Bats all offering a great foundation for ecologists. But how about more experienced ecologists wanting to develop their skills further? Should we be offering you more opportunities to engage with Advanced Bat Survey Techniques? How confident are you at writing reports, surveying trees and using automatic species identification software?

Which skills would you like to develop further and where in the country would you like to see more training? I’m open to suggestions, and where possible, I will try to incorporate them into next year’s plans. And don’t forget, if it’s more convenient we can also offer in-house training, tailoring a course to your company and training needs! Email me to find out more: nwebster@bats.org.uk 

“No I’m not an ‘escort’”- and other awkward scenarios for bat surveyors.

Natterer's bat found during hibernation survey

It’s dark, damp and reeks of fox dung. I’m in a disused train tunnel in north London, tagging along to a survey for hibernating bats. As I inch along I stick close to the walls keeping an eye out for the little critters squeezed in-between the brick crevices. I need to be mindful of train tracks, loose rubble and syringes. Lots of used syringes. The tunnels have been sealed for a while now so, although I doubt I’ll be stumbling into whoever left these, it does bring to light a small yet unfortunate risk with bat surveying; you wouldn’t want to stop and chat with some of the people you might find. Never mind the tunnels and graveyards, but even walking through a park at night can turn dodgy, especially if you’re in a city. Bumping into the unsettling ‘types’ was at the back of my mind when I first started looking for bats around London, but little did it occur to me that I would be the ‘type’ to unsettle others. After all bat workers lurk in bushes with funny equipment in the middle of the night, what could possibly go wrong?

Common pipistrelle

There’s a park just around the corner from my home which has a great site for spotting bats. In a dark corner under an oak tree, when the weather is nice and warm, you can see bats swarming; effortlessly flitting between the gnarled branches chasing midges and flies. Armed with my heterodyne detector, I can pick up on their ultrasonic calls as they’re converted into audible sounds helping me detect the presence and species of bats nearby. When I arrive the detector is silent save for the background static hiss. All of the sudden a series of quiet pops crackle from the speaker, a bat’s in the area. The pops get louder turning into rhythmic wet slaps, must be a pipistrelle species. I tune through the frequencies finding the pitch where the slaps are deepest to help me discern what species I’m listening to. 45khz, it’s a common pipistrelle! In a matter of minutes the air is seething with bats while my detector emits a symphony of pop, squeak, smack and fart sounds as the pipistrelles acoustically feel their way through the air searching for insects to eat.

Tempting as it may be to stand there oohing and aahing at this mesmerising display I need to be aware of the other people in the park. Fortunately for me I’m standing next to the exit so I’ve got an easy way out if I don’t like the look of anyone approaching. Not so fortunate for the hapless jogger, there’s a man standing in the shadows just off the path right next to their exit point. It’s hard enough not to be confused for a nut in the daytime when justifying to people why you spend your nights looking for bats. Trying to do the same with a wary stranger in the park isn’t any easier. But it isn’t just late night joggers and dog walkers that I’m making anxious. A man pulls up in a car just outside the exit and waits with the engine running. I doubt it’s an uber, unless ‘tuned up with spoilers’ is now a selectable option. “He’s probably just picking up a mate” I’m thinking. His ‘mate’ turns up and they talk for less than a minute. Whats this? No hugs, no kisses? It’s starting to look more like a transaction now. What kind of a person conducts business from their car outside a park at night I wonder? At what must be the worst possible timing, my detector screeches and whistles as it picks up some feedback. The two men stop talking and turn to me. Now my gear is looking more like recording equipment or even a radio. For the police perhaps? I take my queue and leave before things get more awkward.

Bat surveyor or police informant, you be the judge

Surveying with a heterodyne needn’t be such a conspicuous display; a pair of headphones can cut out the noise while the detector is hidden in a pocket. However, other survey techniques require the use of less subtle hardware, like say a large antenna for radio-tracking. Remember the documentary clips of tranquillised lions and wolves being fitted with radio collars? Same principle applies except on a smaller scale. You catch your bat, glue a tracking device to their back and let them go. Equipped with your antennae you can map out their movements before the device falls off them, by which point you’ve got an idea as to where the bat flies and roosts; an invaluable insight for a researcher or conservationist. One such specialist goes by the name of Sam, a spectacled, soft-spoken bat ecologist who’s as comfortable researching in a library as he is trekking through the jungle. The kind of breed who could recount a scientific paper while changing a jeep tyre. One night our bat worker was driving around for a radio-tracking session. One hand on the wheel the other holding the antenna out the window. After having done a few circuits, he decides to take a little nap in the car. Not much time passes until he’s rudely awoken by an elderly man brandishing bills and documents at him through the wind screen. “I pay for my TV license!”. Sam’s groggy and confused at first until he realises the strange man is gesticulating partly at the antenna that’s been propped up on the passenger seat. The concerned resident thinks he’s under surveillance! Who’d of thought the BBC employed such drastic fee collection tactics?

Being confused for an authority figure is one thing, getting the authorities called on you is another. I had the pleasure of working with a researcher named Alison; a friendly, ebullient post-doc, not the kind of person you’d consider a delinquent. But like Sam, her equipment didn’t do her any favours. She was carrying out bat surveys in Birmingham using full spectrum bat recorders; the mac daddy of bat recording equipment. These are designed to be left in the field unattended where they continuously record at all frequencies providing tonnes of high quality data for later analysis. They’re typically incased in secure boxes to protect them from the weather, vandals and thieves (human and animal alike). The issue with setting these recorders up in an urban environment, thieves aside, is that you’re lurking around neighbourhoods hiding nondescript boxes around the place. Imagine what that would look like to someone peering out of their window. As if getting the police called wasn’t bad enough, she was once approached, mid-survey, by someone hoping to solicit a service. How hiking boots, rain macs and head torches could be interpreted as sex worker attire is beyond me, but we’ve all got our kinks I suppose.

by Charlie Hearst, former intern at BCT and active London Bat Group member (You can find him on Twitter @CharlieHearst, Facebook, Instagram and follow his blog too)

(To check if you have a local bat group near you visit this page . If you are interested in taking part in our National Bat Monitoring Programme surveys do visit this page)

Into the Canopy

I have been involved with Swanton Novers NNR since I started as a volunteer with Natural England in 2008.  I subsequently secured a full time job as a warden for Natural England on sites throughout North and West Norfolk including Swanton Novers woods. Having since left Natural England to work as an Arboricultural Consultant for Norfolk Wildlife Services I’ve continued to volunteer for the Swanton Novers Woodland Project helping when I can.  I have an arboricultural background so the woods have always fascinated me and as the years have gone by they have opened up an interest in Ancient trees and landscape history as well as how species interact within these very special habitats.  In 2012/13 methodologies were drawn up and ideas started to come to fruition about a large scale monitoring program for the woods.  This mainly revolved around the bat communities and how they interact within the woods.  In the past bat transects and data collection focused on the easily accessible rides running throughout the woods.  This project was focusing on the interior of the compartments that were densely vegetated, hard to get to and little (if any) data had ever been collected - and it involved climbing large majestic Oak trees!  I jumped at the opportunity to be involved!

Due to time pressures and constraints the forty trees were chosen by Ecological consultants according to certain criteria  They had to be 50m from any ride side, spread throughout Great Wood and Little Wood and within different stand types and compartment classification.  A bracket was designed to secure the SM2+ recording devices to the trees and a bracket to take the canopy microphone secured on a southern aspect of the tree to record activity above the understorey.  Once everything was in place data collection could start and the logistical complications of the project would inevitably become apparent.

Firstly, finding a green tree in a very green wood with a piece of green cord dangling from the canopy presents its obvious difficulties.  Once the point tree had been found setting up the canopy microphones involved hoisting them into the canopy bracket.  With a careful flick of the wrist the microphone sat comfortably in its bracket sheltered from the elements by a funnel.  It didn’t take too long to learn that to retrieve the microphone the other end of the cord had to be tied securely on so a continuous loop was created.  Lesson learnt it was time to break out the climbing kit.  I always find it a privilege to see sights that others rarely get to view and looking across the canopy layer and down on the coppice compartments and over the field boundaries fills me with appreciation of scale in a wider landscape setting.  

Once the recording equipment has been set to record for two nights and the canopy and understorey microphones have been plugged in its time to retrace your steps back to the vehicle.  It’s funny how perception works inside dense undergrowth with no horizon or landmark to focus on – many times I thought I had been walking (stumbling) in a certain direction only to be utterly bemused and convinced that I had discovered a previously uncharted ride that is on no maps and in the middle of an unexplored compartment, only to find after a few steps of admiring this untouched (well-managed) ride that it was in fact one of the main rides in the woods.  After nursing my ego and the inevitable bramble rash it was time to find another 4 green trees in a green wood with a green cord hanging from a branch.   

As well as getting involved with the data collection for the fixed point surveys I have happily spent a few evenings walking transects around the woods.  This involved following a predetermined route that lasted about an hour with timed stops along the way.  There are 8 species of bat that use the woods and field edges for roosting and foraging so it’s a good place to get familiar with the different calls.  Even if it’s a quiet evening (bat wise) just experiencing the woods at dusk is a joy.  Many badgers call Swanton Novers Great Wood their home, supermarket and meeting place.  Often they’ll cross your path with the familiar gentle jog, have a cursory glance in your direction and be off again.  

Jim Allitt now works for Norfolk Wildlife Services as an Arboricultural Consultant and if you would like more information about the project and how it was set up then please contact Sonia at srevely@bats.org.uk,  so she can forward 

by Jim Allitt

My Communications Internship at the Bat Conservation Trust

I have always had a keen interest in nature and wildlife. Growing up my interest in the beauty of our natural landscape, its wildlife and its preservation has continued to grow. I spent a great deal of time at university studying and researching the effects of conservation efforts in the United States and in the UK. During my final year at university I looked into the effects of increased population and over development in the USA during the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. I focused on the consequences met such as the sudden decreased population of animals like the Grey Wolf and American Bison. In addition I studied individuals that provoked the preservation of a dying environment such as John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt. My hope is to continue my passion for the protection of our environment by developing and shaping my career through charities such at BCT.

Although I was unable to find the perfect role within a conservation charity after graduating, I was not deterred. I decided to look into internships within conservation organisations (I hadn’t previously ventured down the internship pathway). I stumbled across BCT’s Communications Internship and decided the role sounded fantastic – a communications role that dabbled in events and fundraising, and within conservation - Perfect! After applying so eagerly (approximately 3 weeks before the application deadline) and not hearing anything back since the confirmation reply email, I had come to the conclusion that sadly nothing was to come of it, until I had a sudden call offering an interview! I was ecstatic! This was my big break, to get a foot in the door, and a step in the right direction. After meeting the team and finding out more about the organisation I was hooked, and when, to my surprise, they offered me the role I couldn’t believe it, I said yes, of course!

The long-eared bats I met during my visit to Jenny Clark's Bat Hospital

I found out straight away that the BCT team were amazing, full of kind, intelligent people dedicated and passionate about protecting bats. The work they do here is invaluable to the protection of bats. From the National Bat Monitoring Programme to the Helpline, Mitigation to Communications, together they inform and educate so many on the importance of bat conservation. I have met some incredibly influential bat enthusiasts who have dedicated so much of their lives to protecting this fascinating species.

A highlight of my time at BCT has to be my visit to Jenny Clarks bat hospital. We met a variety of bat species including all three Pipistrelles: Common, Soprano and Nathusius, Serotine, Noctule, grey and brown Long Eared, Natterers, Brandts, Whiskered, Daubentons and Bechsteins. It was also where I discovered how incredibly beautiful the brown and grey long eared bats were! Jenny is an incredibly devoted woman, whose passion and dedication is outstanding.

Part of BCT's exhibition at Gardener's World Live

Another highlight of my time at BCT was definitely Gardeners World Live. Not only did I get to meet more dedicated bat enthusiasts who volunteered with us, I also aided in spreading the good word of bats and how important they are to the environment. It was incredible to see how many people were unaware of the importance of bats, but how many of them were truly interested in making a difference to our environment by encouraging bats into their gardens. It was a brilliant whirl wind experience and one I won’t forget!


I have learnt so much in the past 3 months at BCT. I have gained so much experience from working with such a dedicated team. I can safely say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and hope that our paths cross again in the future!



Emma Cross

Monitoring Bats – An Exciting Opportunity

Spring has fully arrived and I’m sure you are enjoying those warmer temperatures!  It’s not only us though who get more active when the conditions change.  You may recall in previous issues we discovered how seasonality can affect bat behaviour, with churches providing a safe haven at those most vulnerable times.  In winter bats hibernate; but as night temperatures rise above 10^OC, they will wake up and take advantage of increased insect activity.  They start emerging from April to May, and when they do, it offers an exciting opportunity to get involved in recording any you see flying over any space.

Illustration by Liz Vinson

Bats have unfortunately become an endangered species over past decades, with major population declines.  If you see a bat, its great news and hopefully a positive sign that they are recovering.  It can be hard to know this for certain, but that is where submitting any sightings can help.  At the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), there is a National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP).  NBMP has been calculating population trends for over 20 years, with all records submitted by volunteers.  In fact, it’s all done on a voluntary basis and there are over a 1,000 people throughout the UK who help each year in carrying out bat surveys.  Some can be challenging, but the ‘Sunset/Sunrise’ survey is ideal for anyone.  It simply involves heading out at dusk or dawn, (or both) and spending an hour looking for bats flying overhead.  This can be done anytime from April to September; record the time, temperature and number of bats seen, and then send through the results.  

I’ve now left BCT, having taken up a Sustainability Project Coordinator post at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.  The hospital does have a bat roost, and I am certainly still passionate about the bat world.  If you’d like to get involved with the NBMP, please do email BCT’s dedicated team nbmp@bats.org.uk or look at their website www.bats.org.uk/pages/nbmp.html

Happy monitoring!

David Jackson

From little acorns mighty oaks do grow!

I have been casting my mind back to the time when the very first embers of an idea for a project at

Acorn © public domain

Swanton Novers began.

It goes back to 2011 when I first met with Ash Murray to discuss a whole range of things to do with bats and Norfolk. But it was the discussions around Swanton Novers that proved so very inspiring.

Here was this marvellous woodland National Nature Reserve with so much history, so much wildlife and so much untapped data to bring many facets of the woodland together.  It felt like discovering a hidden gem that had so much to offer but only if we did a lot of work to make what is known accessible and relevant.

So where to start. I suppose it is not uncommon when delving into a largely untapped resource to find there are many and varied areas that could be included. Ash and I had brainstorming sessions, sometimes resulting in flipchart pages of linked ideas and associations that looked like the workings of a mad professor or two. Those must be lurking in the darker recesses of my paperwork.

Swanton Novers NNR © Ash Murray

But I did find a printed off sheet we had scribbled on as an early effort to make this all more tangible and adaptable by producing an electronic version of our ideas and there is so much that is of interest and importance all with Swanton Novers at the epicentre. Indeed in the early days the most difficult problem was knowing what to include and what to leave out.

But actually there was always a really strong core that came to the fore over and over again. That was the very long history of Swanton Novers as a managed woodland making it of long-standing importance in the local landscape and culturally too with links to local communities.  But is has not only shaped the landscape and lives of people but also been an important for wildlife too. There were so many questions about this. Which species had thrived and what elements of the management had allowed that to happen?  Did the part of the woodland they used depend on the rotation of management and were there species associations that could be used as indicators of whole niches?  These are questions of importance to so many woodlands across the UK but at Swanton Novers we knew there was the chance to answer these. This is because the history of the management of the woodland is so well documented and in great detail.  Plus, although this is a woodland not open to the public, there has been a long history of Naturalists specialising in a whole range of wildlife who have surveyed and monitored the woodland over many years. All of this information brought together would have a tremendously interesting and important story to tell but….and it is a bit but…. the data was stored in a way that meant it was not accessible for this sort of use. Indeed much of it was still in paper form. So we knew the project had to tackle digitising all this information so it could be overlaid to allow us to look into the window of a managed woodland from the viewpoint of the wildlife that lives there.

Woodland walk at Swanton Novers NNR © Jan Collins

We also noticed that information gathered on wildlife was very reliant on the interests of visiting naturalists and that their data might only have been collected from a small sample site within the woodland. So to give the fullest view it was also recognised that we needed to have a more systematic approach.

Another big driver was the fact that this gem of a woodland at the cultural heart of the communities in the area could not be an NNR that had open access to the public. We wanted the project to reconnect people with this special woodland and in particular those who live in the area. There is so much to learn about and to inspire all ages and abilities and certainly so much to be gained by having volunteers learning new skills to help us unravel more about this special place.

Barbastelle bat ©Hugh Clark

The final element was a focus on bats. A species group that had been harder to document in the past due to their elusive nocturnal habits but about which so much more is now possible to discover and for non-specialist to be involved in. We know that Swanton Novers is important for bats but didn’t have a clear picture of the extent of this. Bats are not only an indicator of the health of a habitat but different species have differing needs and so knowing more about the bats present would tell its own story about what this woodland provides. We love involving people with learning more about and helping us to survey bats. 

As I reflect now on where we are it is so pleasing to see that all of those areas of our hoped for work at Swanton Novers have become a reality. In fact the enthusiasm from all who have become involved has exceeded expectations. Not only that, we are really starting to uncover some interesting information about what is about this woodland that allows bats and other wildlife  to survive and thrive. Knowledge that will be useful to woodland over all of the UK. 

Further information about the project and monthly updates about the project called Swanton News can be found here. 

If you would like more information about the project or would like to be involved and can spare a few hours helping with bat surveys, call analysis, walks, talks and community events, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator Sonia Reveley at SReveley@bats.org.uk or ring 07788 226528.

Carol Williams

Safari Park staff go batty for bats

Staff at West Midland Safari Park are hosting a special conservation week, dedicated to raising awareness and funds for bats.

Protect Bats Week will run from 6-14 May and staff, with help from the Worcestershire Bat Group, aim to inform guests about the amazing world of bats, including what species can be found in Britain. All the funds raised during the week will go to the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT).

A variety of activities will take place during the week, both at the Park and online. Guests can take part in a free quiz, meet the Park’s Rodrigues fruit bats and Seba’s short-tailed bats in special bat talks at 2pm and 4pm, take part in a craft club with bat-related crafts and games and enter some competitions to win a VIP tour or some bat-themed prizes.

Additionally, the Park is hosting some very special VIP Myth Busting Experiences, where guests of all ages can meet some commonly misunderstood creatures up close, including reptiles, small mammals and insects. They can also help prepare some fruit kebabs for the bats, then watch them feast on them during their feeding time.

Discovery Trail Keeper, Lucy Smith, said, 'The Discovery Trail keepers have chosen to support the Bat Conservation Trust for our conservation week, so we will be putting all of our efforts into raising funds and awareness for the cause. Globally, around 20% of all bat species are currently threatened with extinction, although you don't need to travel around the world to find them, as we have 17 species breeding within the UK alone! The decline in population numbers within the UK stems from building development and habitat loss'.

West Midland Safari Park is hosting a Protect Bats Week from 6-14 May, raising money for the Bat Conservation Trust.

'As keepers and bat lovers we think that more needs to be done to protect our flying friends and by supporting the BCT, we will be helping to fund training programmes to assist in the monitoring and surveying of bats around the country. At the Park, we will be aiming to educate and inspire people and hopefully shed some light on many of the myths surrounding these mysterious animals. At the end of the week some of the more batty members of staff and myself will be doing a bungee jump on the 13 and 14 of May, in an effort to raise even more funds for the worthy cause. Wish us luck!' 

For all of the Park’s conservation weeks, local artist Zaza Shelley, will be producing some amazing limited edition prints of the Park’s animals, including the bats. Proceeds from sales of the bat prints will also go towards the Bat Conservation Trust. Prints are available to purchase from the conservation section on Zaza’s website: www.zazashelley.com

In honour of Protect Bats Week the Park is also hosting a public talk on 19 May at 7:30pm, given by Lucy and Matthew Terry, chair of Worcestershire Bat Group. Refreshments will be included and after the talk, there will be the chance to join the Bat Group in the grounds of the Park, as they search for native bats and pick up their calls. 

There will be a special talk at the Park on 19 May from a bat keeper and the chair of the Worcestershire Bat Group.

The Bat Conservation Trust is the leading NGO solely devoted to bat conservation and the landscapes on which they rely. Funds from Protect Bat Week will be going towards the volunteer training programme, who work to care for bats, monitor populations, create bat-friendly gardens and educate the public. Find out more on their website: www.bats.org.uk.

Stephan Brohan will also be raising funds for BCT on behalf of the Worcestershire Bat group, by taking part in a volunteer bungee jump, which has been organized by the West Midlands Safari Park. If you would like to donate then please follow THIS LINK to be directed to his JustGiving page and give him a little boost!

The bats can be seen in West Midland Safari Park’s Discovery Trail and Protect Bats Week is included in the standard admission charge. To book the VIP Myth Buster Experience, email details to learning@wmsp.co.uk. To book a place on the talk, email research@wmsp.co.uk.

Further information and tickets are available from the Park’s website www.wmsp.co.uk or by telephone 01299 402114. You can find out more on the Safari Park’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WestMidSafari.

#Makeitgreen Campaign

The Perfect Pollinator

Todays society is becoming more and more aware of the importance of a sustainable environment but there is still so much more we can do to help create a world where humans and nature can not only survive, but thrive.

The #makeitgreen initiative is supported by the well-known Charity Bug Life. Bug Life and Scotscape have together formulated the ‘Perfect Pollinator’ living wall which can be easily applied to any surface full of pollinating life giving plants. The Perfect Pollinator living wall offers a fast and flexible way to incorporate greenery in otherwise tricky locations in a pattern suitable for Bee migration, and bat habitats. Careful planning will increase the value of your garden or green space to bats, bees and other wildlife, however small it is.

#Makeitgreen has been created to raise awareness of the importance of greening up our cities and urban areas, to benefit air quality, health, biodiversity, pollinators and improve city living.

#Makeitgreen encourages participants to plant a seed, a plant, even a tree, record it, post it and challenge friends and colleagues to do the same! Who knows where this could lead? Could we see flowers bursting into colour in unused urban wasteland? Trees popping up in gardens? A competitive greening up of our doorways, balconies, front gardens, offices, and urban thoroughfares?

Our mission is simple – green up our cities in whichever way possible, vertically with living walls, horizontally on roofs with green roofs, create rain gardens, plant up troughs and planters, manage landscapes sustainably and incorporate pollinator friendly plants! 

The perfect example of a living wall

It is crucial to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and the fact that urbanisation is wiping them out. At The Bat Conservation Trust we understand the need to encourage pollinator friendly gardens and green areas, as bats need a huge number of insects, a garden that is good for insects is good for bats. Making our urban landscape a friendlier place for bats and pollinators to thrive is beneficial on a much more fundamental level. In the UK, some bats are ‘indicator species’, because changes to these bat populations can indicate changes in aspects of biodiversity. Bats might suffer when there are problems with insect populations or when habitats are destroyed or poorly managed.

A brown long-eared bat enjoying dinner

To help you to #makeitgreen visit the www.scotscape.net to claim your free packet of perfect pollinator seeds to include in your garden or office landscape and help the bees and bats! 

To learn more about how you can support Bug Life’s Activities and how #makeitgreen can help pollinators – visit www.scotscape.net or www.buglife.org.uk.

If you would like to find out more about the importance of bats on the environment please visit - http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/why_bats_matter.html