In this bat group newsletter, we have:
- Reports on lots of bat events held in September.
- Listen to Bats on the radio.
- Heal Rewilding has invited us for a tour of their exciting project.
- Can you help with … requests for batty events?
- Fundraise for the bat group when you shop online!
- The latest BCT Bat Group Bulletin includes news that BCT’s Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists: Good Practice Guidelines (4th edition) are now available.
- A reminder about membership renewal.
- Welcome to our new Lifetime members of the Bat Group.
Recent bat event reports
It’s bat box checking season, and the last of the Big Bat Counts were held, so lots to report …
Sat 2nd Sept – Stoke St Gregory Big Bat Count
This big bat count for Stoke St Gregory environment group was organised by Bryony from SWT, with help from Bindy from the bat group.
Bryony reported the “Big Bat Count on Saturday was a lot of fun! We had 7 groups out, ideal weather and everyone came back on a really high, having recorded bats in various locations around the parish. Bindy was absolutely fantastic sharing lots of bat-facts and sorting out the tech for us”.
The groups recorded 120 bat observations across 12 AutoIDed species. Common pipistrelle and noctule were the most frequent, both with approx a third of the sightings. Other AutoIDed records of rarer bats such as barbastelle, Brandt’s and Bechstein’s will undergo further analysis of the recordings.
SUN 10TH SEPT – GT.BREACH AND HAM WALL BAT BOX CHECKS
Josh reports:
“A successful day out at Great Breach Wood and Ham Wall to check boxes. Lots of mating groups of soprano pipistrelle in the boxes at both sites and four more boxes installed.
Thanks to everyone who came along”.
Tues 12th Sept – Brompton Ralph Big Bat Count
Our last Big Bat Count in 2023 was for Brompton Ralph wildlife group with support from residents of Tolland. On a somewhat overcast, windy and spotting rain night, eight enthusiastic teams recorded 130 bat sightings.
With just over half the sightings common pipistrelle was by far the most frequent species, soprano pipistrelle, noctule and serotine were also frequently seen.
The recordings of the rarer species, including an early sighting of greater horseshoe will be looked at more closely later in the year.
SUN 24TH SEPT – LEVELS BAT BOX CHECKS
Dani led the bat box checks and reports:
“Great bat box day on 24th Sept, we surveyed boxes at Canada Farm, Catcott and Shapwick Heath – with over 40 bats found. A lovely group of natterers bats, soprano pips and the first Nathusius pipistrelle in a box on the Somerset Levels!
Thanks for the volunteers who came to help.”
SUN 24TH SEPT – EDFORD BAT BOX CHECKS
Amber led the checks and said:
“At Edford Woods we checked 13 boxes in total, and put 1 more up . We found 2 Soprano Pipistrelle in one of the older wooden boxes. One adult male, one unknown.
In Wadbury bat house there were 9 Greater Horseshoe (2 ringed, including a Adult Female who we’ve seen in 2019 and 2021). 1 Lesser Horseshoe & 1 Serotine.
Thanks for coming and helping with Edford bat boxes on the weekend!”
Listen to bats on the Radio
Luke from the Bat Lab, and Andy from the Bat Group, were interviewed on BBC Radio Somerset at 12:15PM on Thursday 28th Sept.
Luke was talking about the North Somerset Bat Survey, while Andy was talking about the Big Bat Counts and the Frome Count in particular, as the interview was in response to a press release from Frome Town Council.
You can listen to the interview in the recording below:
Would you be interested in …?
Heal Rewilding has invited the bat group to a visit to their new site near Bruton. They “would love to host a talk and tour of our site including teas, coffees, and biscuits of course“.
Find out more about Heal on their website: https://www.healsomerset.org.uk/
We said that if enough people would like to visit then we could arrange a date. So please let us know if you would be interested. somersetbatgroup@gmail.com
Can you help with …?
The bat group receives far more requests for help, than the committee can do. Hence please do let us know if you think you could help out with recent requests: somersetbatgroup@gmail.com
- Exmoor Festival of Nature, 25th May 2024 – The Exmoor Society is e organising a one-day festival. They are asking local and national charities and organisations to take part and run interactive activities on their own pitch. The event will be held at FSC Nettlecombe Court, near Williton. Can anyone represent the bat group there?
- Rode Scouts club – would like a bat walk.
- A lady on the outskirts of Butleigh village near Glastonbury would like help with where to site two bat boxes.
Support the bat group when you shop online!
Raise money for the Bat Group, at no cost to you. Over 7,500 brands will donate to us for free, every time you use #easyfundraising to shop with them. Please sign up to support us today, as if you do it this week we’ll get an entry into a prize draw to win a £500 donation. Thank you for your support.
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Bat group bulletin
The latest BCT Bat Group Bulletin includes news that BCT’s Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists: Good Practice Guidelines (4th edition) are now available.
Augusts Bulletin was published after our last newsletter, and can be found here:
All past editions of the Bulletin can be found on this page of our website:
Membership Renewal.
If you are one of the 47 people who last filled in your annual membership form in 2022, this is a reminder that your subscription to the Bat Group lapsed at our AGM in April, and you are no longer a member of the Bat Group.
If that is the case please complete our membership form to rejoin now: https://somersetbat.group/join/
Welcome to our new Lifetime members
The group would like to warmly welcome the following members who have taken up lifetime membership in the last month:
- SBG0010 – Steven