Bats at Haddon Hall

Claire Moran, a new Communications Officer at the Bat Conservation Trust, went to a bat watch at Haddon Hall, one of England's oldest houses. Organised by Steve Roe and the Derbyshire Bat Conservation Group, attendees got to spend time with hundreds of bats in an ancient chapel and walk along the River Wye using bat detectors and thermal cameras. In this blog she tells us what she saw.

Bats in the Hall

Hundreds of bats fly about a stained-glass window aglow with sunset. It’s an enchanting spectacle, and even the shower cap I'm given to protect my hair from bat wee doesn't make it any less magical.

I'm at Haddon Hall’s first bat watch event, where myself and a handful of people, are treated to a sight unfortunately rare in the UK: lots of bats. Certainly, I’ve never seen so many bats. In fact I don’t think I’ve even seen this many mammals together in real life that aren’t sheep or humans.  

Our watch starts in the chapel which is very old, parts of it date to the 12th century. I’m no historian, but you can feel the age in its rough walls, which are covered in colourful drawings of leaves and flowers, religious scenes and strange symbols. Bats take advantage of the craggy walls, clinging onto them briefly before dropping down into flight.  

Bats cling to the ancient walls of the chapel of Haddon Hall. 

 

When we enter the chapel at around 8pm, the number of bats flying above us is already impressive. As is their smell, sweet, musky and somehow familiar, mammalian – and their chattering squeaks. More bats join the swirls above our heads every minute.

Derbyshire Bat Conservation Group

Steve Roe from Derbyshire Bat Conservation Group (also BCT trustee and creator of our award-winning podcast) leads the night. Steve tells us the chapel’s bats are a maternity roost of common and soprano pipistrelles. Some are youngsters, just weened.  

 

Bats in the chapel at Haddon Hall. Steve Roe (BCT trustee and podcaster, Derbyshire Bat Conservation Group) talks. 

A great storyteller, Steve conjures up the world of bats, its wonder and vulnerability. And he sprinkles in some amazing facts, in one instance by literally sprinkling bat poo to show us how it glitters.  

 

At the end of his talk, the lights are turned off, the doors closed, and somehow even more bats take to the wing. Now they’re swooping to their exit point, a crack above the church door. A thermal camera shows us what the shadows conceal, as the bats consider leaving, think better of it, wheel away, and return. 

History at Haddon Hall

Haddon Hall is one of the oldest houses in the UK. Uniquely, it was left unoccupied for 200 years and so has not been subject to the sort of renovations other grand houses have undergone.

Approaching it through the Peak District you feel like you’re going back in time, as A-roads turn into country roads lined with stone walls or old hedgerows. Once on the grounds, the hall oozes character: part Lord of the Rings, part Dracula’s castle (in fact some famous fantasy films have been shot here, including The Princess Bride).

Haddon Hall is not as well-known as great houses like Chatsworth, or rewilding projects like Knepp, but it deserves to be. It has 187 hectares of parkland, woodland, river, water meadows, wetlands and former farmland. All sorts of mammals, insects, plants and fungi live here, and several species of bat forage, commute or roost on Haddon land. The Hall itself is a bat roost, and they often find bats behind tapestries.  

Bat detectors on the Wye River

With the sun about to disappear, we’re given bat detectors and led to the Wye, a river which winds through Haddon Hall’s ancient parkland. Clouds of white moths flutter up from the wild flowers and grasses, food for the bats. The air is sweet summer air full of pollen and warm earthy tones, fresh after the musk of the chapel.

In the dark the river looks spectral, it’s glassy surface full of shadows. Have I even seen a river at night before? I’m not sure I have. Holding my detector, I feel like a Ghostbuster. Alien sounds, clicks and clacks, faster and louder, announce bat after bat.

Steve tells us that noctules and Daubenton’s bats are flying over the water. I can see that some of these are bigger, and they move differently from the chapel’s bats snaking about above the water.  

Haddon Hall at sunset.

 

We stand awhile on a narrow stone bridge, which looks like goblins made it. It starts to rain, but it doesn’t dampen the wonder, as we use a thermal camera and see bats, otherwise invisible, among the trees lining the river.

After this our bat watch is over, and squinting our dark-adapted eyes, we make our way out of this enchanting place to go home.  

Spectacle and conservation 

It was both exhilarating and sobering to see so many bats at Haddon Hall. I was lucky to see such a spectacle, and it made me mad I was so lucky. Humans have so devastatingly quickly created a world where most people don’t know what a few hundred bats look like.  

Aside from ethical and practical problems stemming from and causing the biodiversity crisis, I think it makes us lonely to be without our fellow species. But places like Haddon act like beacons, they remind us that it wasn’t always this way, that enchantment used to be part of life, and there is lots we can do to bring the magic back.  

Images by Haddon Hall. Written by Claire Moran, Communications Officer at the Bat Conservation Trust.

Using bats to improve inclusivity of access to nature

by Ruth Cowell

When in early 2022 I volunteered to go batty for my newly formed local Nature Group I had no idea where this would lead me. At first I immersed myself in the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) training, including 'How to Organise and Run a Bat Walk', which introduced me to other enthusiasts. Then I looked at the wealth of resources available on the BCT website. The 'Bats For All' section references projects which have included hard to reach groups and I was fortunate that some took place in the Avon area where I am based and had a legacy of loanable library resources. I attended a couple of bat walks myself and joined my local bat group.

My big question was how as a volunteer could I have the resources to run a field bat walk that did not exclude those with mobility, vision or hearing difficulties? I had inspiration from the BCT website and an idea of what we needed to achieve but trying to access owners of historic projects was difficult and I am not an expert on these issues. I had excellent advice from Trustees of the Bristol Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing who had been involved in previous projects but the difficulty of gaining consent to use copyrighted resources seemed insurmountable. Enter my Parish Council.

Tablet with EMT

In Frampton Cotterell Parish Council we have an enthusiastic Climate and Nature officer who was already working in partnership with the Nature Group and had a forum for discussion. We agreed that I would support the development of the resources needed, that the Parish Council would take ownership of them and that this would not be a project but would have ongoing review so that resources would not go out of date. The necessary Committee agreements added time to decision making but it was worth it.

Our first goal was to run an inclusive outdoor bat walk event at the end of August which was accessible to wheelchair users and those with mobility, vision and hearing difficulties. I had my Echo Meter Touch (EMT) in a computer tablet for hearing impaired, we already had 3 heterodyne Magenta bat detectors, which I put bumps on to mark frequencies of 25 and 50 Khz, and we borrowed more detectors. We focused on the bats most likely to be encountered in our area: noctule, common and soprano pipistrelle, serotine, Daubenton's bat and brown long-eared bat. I made to scale cardboard tactile bats where the anatomy could be traced and weighted bats which also demonstrated the different wing shapes. The bat walk went well although the hearing impaired and wheelchair users had to withdraw for unrelated reasons.

Cardboard tactile bats

The next goal was to make our resources more robust in time for our bat event at the City Nature Challenge at the end of April 2023. The Parish Council agreed funding so that we were able to purchase 5 more bat detectors, 2 EMTs and tablets and to have British Sign Language (BSL) support for a workshop. We produced instructions for using the Magenta detectors, including the BCT What Bat is That? large print leaflet, and an audio description of the instructions and leaflet which included heterodyne bat echolocation sounds taken from my EMT recordings. We commissioned a Braille and tactile image resource from the RNIB and had permission from the BCT to include a braille version of the What Bat is That? large print leaflet and tactile bat outlines from the BCT website. The event went well and BSL interpretation was used.

This is not a time limited project with evaluation of a definite outcome but an evolving case study of how we can build inclusive nature events. Residents can borrow all the resources from the Parish Council and links have been made with key network groups. We have just received news of an external grant from the National Lottery that will enable us to provide more events, including BSL support, over the next year and we now have a framework for producing resources to support inclusivity in our other nature activities.

Taking on a challenge for bats

Earlier this year Steve and his wife Davina took on the challenge of running the Virtual London Marathon and decided to raise funds for Bat Conservation Trust.

We asked him if he could share his thoughts on the experience.

Why did you decide to take part in this challenge?

I am a Park Ranger at Emberton Country Park and both my wife and myself wanted to walk the marathon here to increase visitor awareness of our bats and also those in the UK. We have walked a 40 mile charity walk across open countryside in April 2019 so we were well prepared for the challenge having trained for that one. It is going to be a challenge but a fun one which we will expect to complete in about 7.5 hours. 

Why did you chose to raise funds to The Bat Conservation Trust? 

We raised money to assist in their work towards a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Also to be able to complete the marathon around Emberton Country Park and promote and support the bat populations that we have here was a great bonus as it is quite a special place.

How was your fundraising experience? Did you have a fundraising plan to help you achieve your target?  

In a nutshell it was constantly posting updates about our challenge on social media, then how our prep was going and we were getting ready for the big day. We targeted our own personal media but also local community media.

We were told by someone who regularly raises monies for wildlife charities that we should not expect to raise a large amount but our contribution would be just as significant even if it was smaller. He was right but we kept hitting Facebook everyday in the build up and we hit our personal target of £500.

Thank you to Steve and Davina for raising funds and awareness for bats!

If you are interested in taking up a challenge for bats do have a look at the opportunities we have available here. Or create your own challenge! Some ideas and inspiration can be found here. 

My First Sunset Survey

Blog written byLauren Stark

A few years ago, I was the Bat Conservation Trust’s National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) survey intern. I helped identify bats in sound recordings, entered survey results as well as other tasks. Since leaving the role I have become a consultant ecologist and over the summer I frequently carry out a range of bat surveys for infrastructure and development projects across Wales and Southwest England.  

I took part in my first survey in April 2019, carrying out my survey at a local lake in South Wales. It was a slow start, however after a few minutes we were surrounded by multiple species. Although not necessary for the survey, I used a bat detector to help me identify the bat species present. Through the bat detector I heard common and soprano pipistrelles. I also visually identified Daubenton’s bats flying low over the lake. It was great fun.

My site for the NBMP sunset bat survey.(c): Lauren Stark

NBMP and its volunteers

The NBMP has over 2,000 volunteers collecting data through various surveys throughout the year. Some of these surveys allow anyone to get involved, even with no bat survey experience.  The results of these surveys provide the NBMP with important information on:

• Bat population trends in the UK.
• An insight into the state of the environment
• Help in the successful conservation of UK bat species.

How can you get involved?

Anyone can take part in the NBMP sunset/sunrise surveys; no equipment or experience needed.  It is also a perfect opportunity to get together with family/friends and discover bats and other wildlife in your local area. Last year 353 volunteers took part in the surveys. You could be part of the growing number of volunteers. All you need is:

• Someone to join you, if you are surveying away from your house/garden
• Torch (to light your way when you’re walking – please do not shine it at bats!)
• Survey form
• Watc
• Pen or pencil

The survey runs from April to October. You can sit in your garden, go to a local park or watch from your window whether you live in an urban or rural area. Just spend an hour starting from sunset, or an hour before sunrise, and record the number of bats you see in that hour. You do not need to be able to identify the type of bat for this survey, but if you can then please record this as well!

What will you see?

When taking part in these surveys you are most likely to spot five of the more common bat species: common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, noctule, brown long-eared bat, and Daubenton’s bat. Last year the most observed species was the common pipistrelle.

It won’t just be bats that you see as there are lots of other nocturnal animals such foxes, hedgehogs, owls and rabbits that can also be recorded, so keep an eye out for other species too!

If you would like to take part in a sunset/sunrise survey or would like to just learn more visit the Sunset Survey page on the NBMP website!

Bats in the UK

The UK has 18 bat species, 17 of which are known to breed in the UK, which is almost a third of all UK mammal species! Bats are an indicator species; their presence shows that an ecosystem is healthy. A loss in insect populations or poor habitat management can cause a decline in their population. 

Bats are not blind! However, they use echolocation (a series of high-frequency calls) to hunt for their prey in the dark as well as to build up an image of their surroundings. Echolocation calls are too high frequency for humans to hear, however with bat detectors we can. Different species echolocate at different frequencies, which allows us to identify the species from their calls.

You can also tell some species apart by their flight patterns. For example, Daubenton’s bats are distinct in the way they fly, skimming the surface of water to catch insects with their feet. Pipistrelle species on the other hand fly slightly higher twisting and turning in and around trees.

Unfortunately, over the last century bat species numbers have declined dramatically. Causes of this decline include habitat loss, predation (often by cats), and an increase in artificial lighting. Bats and their roosts are protected by law from destruction and disturbance. 

Supporting Neurodiverse Attendees at BCT’s Events – what more could we be doing?

Neurodiversity Celebration Week seemed like an excellent prompt to review the improvements we have been making to support neurodiverse attendees at out events and to seek suggestions on what more we could do. 

When booking to attend one of our courses or conferences, everyone has the opportunity to disclose any accessibility or learning needs if they want to. This helps us consider any additional support we might be able to offer, such as reserving a seat in a particular part of the room or providing course notes in a different format. Some support is offered universally to try and support everyone, including those people who may not be comfortable disclosing or may not have a diagnosis to share. For example, we offer closed captions online for our conferences and training courses to help everyone follow the discussion. We haven’t yet discovered a suitable way to offer this in person, although we are exploring some options. 

We know that coming to a conference on your own can be nerve-wracking so provide a meeting point for people interested meeting other bat workers to gather and connect during coffee breaks. Similarly, inspired by the Chatty Café movement, at venues with a canteen-style eating area for lunch, we are introducing Batty Chatty Tables (like sharing tables in cafes) where individuals or small groups can sit to indicate they would welcome the opportunity to chat with others while they eat. 

For those in need of some peace to replenish, we will also have Quiet Tables where individuals can enjoy their lunch quietly without being dragged into conversation. For those in need of solitude, most of our conference venues offer outside space for individuals who would like a walk away from the crowd. At the National Bat Conference, we plan to provide a quiet room for any attendees who want a time-out from the hustle and bustle of the conference.

We are also exploring ideas for other support for neurodivergent attendees such as a hub of suggestions for support that delegates are welcome to bring with them like noise-reducing headphones or fidget toys as well as items that we can make available such as sunflower lanyards for anyone with a hidden disability or doodle/colouring pages.

We are aware that this is a journey and we still have more work to do to support our neurodivergent and neurotypical attendees. We would welcome feedback on where we are so far and suggestions for what more we could do. If you would like to get in touch, please share your thoughts with our Engagement and Education Officer, Naomi Webster, email: nwebster@bats.org.uk 

Dan Riskin’s Inspiration for Fiona the Fruit Bat

Author and bat expert Dan Riskin shares the extraordinary encounter he had with the bat who inspired Fiona, and the message of self-discovery she represents.

“This might sound weird, but the main message in my book is one I learned from a bat in Costa Rica.

I was a bright but aimless kid. I wasn’t big on nature. I wasn’t big on science. I hadn’t found my calling. But then in high school I read the right book at the right moment. It was by M. Brock Fenton, one of the world’s greatest bat gurus, and it was amazing. These little-known animals were so full of surprises, and there were so many hilarious adventure stories about going to far-flung Africa or the Amazon to learn about them. (And frankly, many of the details about the sex lives of those bats simply blew my high-school mind!) I was hooked. I was officially a bat-fan. 

When I started my Master’s degree, I went to Costa Rica to check out some obscure bats with suction cups on their wrists and ankles—they use them to stick to leaves! The morning after I arrived, another researcher took me across the river to a small cave he said would have bats in it. When we got there, I had to lie down and slide on my back into the cave, like you would roll under a car when you change the oil. I slid in, and the ground was wet and brown. At first I thought “mud” but I realized quickly that this was bat guano. It was all in my hair, and going down the back of my shirt! But I heard the squeaks and needed to see what was in there, so I pressed on. 

That’s when I saw her.

The bat—who is now synonymous in my mind with Fiona—was unmistakable – a short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia! I’d read all about these creatures. It was like seeing a celebrity whose poster you have on your wall at home. I was in awe. This bat looked down at me, with its mouth open, and teeth showing—not in an angry way, but almost like an open-mouthed puppy smile. It felt like the world stood still. I was in love. I loved this bat, and I loved what I’d gone through to get to this bat, and maybe most of all, I loved who I felt like I was becoming as I looked at that bat. I had changed. I had found my calling. I wanted to be a bat biologist.

The next 20 years had plenty of bat caves and plenty of far-flung tropical destinations. I’ve seen more than a hundred different species of bats now, all over the world, but that first encounter with Fiona set it all off. That one bat unlocked something inside me, and I slid out of that cave with a sense of purpose I hadn’t had before.

Short-tailed fruit bats are among the best studied bats in the world, but like all creatures, they’re also full of mystery. We know what they eat, we know how they echolocate, and how they change as they develop. I even once did a biomechanics study about how they land upside down, where I made high-speed videos of them while I measured how hard their feet hit the ceiling (very gently, it turns out!).

For this book, I’ve worked with Illustrator Rachel Qiuqi and my team at Greystone to keep the details of Fiona’s experience as scientifically accurate as possible—from her roosting posture, to the identities of the other denizens of her cave, to the way she figures out how to echolocate. Carollia bats don’t echolocate until right about the time they start flying—around three weeks of age. I have always wondered what their sensory experiences are like leading up to that point. And although I’ve taken some liberties with anthropomorphizing dialogue, I really think what Fiona experiences is true-to-life. She knows how to make noise and she hears sounds, but she doesn’t know how to use those skills together for echolocation until the day she learns to fly. 

I hope that kids (and their families) will discover how cute bats are through this book, but the real message is about learning when to stop looking for answers from other people and to listen to yourself. My passion for bats is an extension of what I learned in that Costa Rican cave – the value of doing something scary and growing as a result. Fiona finds her calling, just like I did. And it comes when she learns to listen to her own voice. That’s the lesson I want to share with the young readers of this book. 

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Do you want to get the chance to win a copy of this book? For the month of November (2022) any new members joining Bat Conservation Trust will be entered in a prize draw and one lucky member will win a copy of Fiona the Fruit Bat and a copy of Two for Joy by Adam Henson.

Join today here.