In this message we have:
- The most recent Bat Group Buletin from the BCT – Click here to view: 30th November 2021 – #196
- News that a coronavirus related to the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans has been found in UK horseshoe bats
- A request for help from BBC Wildlife Magazine on UK vagrant bats.
November Bat Group Bulletin
Included in this Bulletin is:
- NBMP Hibernation Survey Update
- White Nose Syndrome Update.
- VBRV Train the Trainers Course
- Roost Award 2022 Open for subbmissions
- Earned Recognition Update
Click here to view: 30th November 2021 – #196
Coronavirus in UK Horseshoes
Our far north correspondant, sent the details of this pre-print paper that he thought would be of interest to members (thanks Pete!)
Help with UK vagrant bats
Jame Hanlon (james.a.hanlon@googlemail.com) wrote the following to the bat group:
“I am a freelance writer on natural history topics who has been commissioned by BBC Wildlife Magazine to write a series looking at rare vagrant wildlife that occasionally turns up in the UK & Ireland well outside of its normal range. The series (entitled Lost & Found) started this autumn and has so far concentrated mainly on birds and marine mammals (with the odd moth) but it is my wish to expand on its subject matter and, as a lifelong bat worker myself I am keen to see some vagrant bats included. So far they haven’t featured as incidences are low, and most commonly involve rehabilitation due in part to the secrecy and vulnerability of the subjects and issues posed by identification of species (often only possible as a result of experts handling a specimen). Rehabilitation tends to be low key and may only make publication after the event, making it a difficult subject to cover in real time, an essential element as the story needs to be current, at the editor’s request.
The aim of the series is to increase awareness of vagrancy in migratory species generally to help improve awareness and number of records and to draw attention to extralimital records as an early indicator of changing range and migration routes (the recent run of south coast records of Kuhl’s pipistrelle a good example with the first evidence of potential colonisation as a new UK breeder now emerging).
Please get in touch if you are lucky enough to come across any species considered a UK vagrant and would like to share the story, ideally of successful rehabilitation and release, in the magazine. It’s hoped the series will run long term so I’m happy to be contacted at any point in the future. I’d be grateful too if you can forward this request on to bat carers or anyone else who may be in a position to help.”