In this packed Bat Group newsletter we have:
- Exciting news! Our grey long-eared trapping and radio tracking project starts this year!
- All the latest news from our annual meeting last weekend.
- Read about our first Bat Box checks of the year.
- Come get involved in our other events.
- The latest BCT Bat Group Bulletin which includes news of this years National Bat Conference.
- Its membership renewal time for many.
- Welcome to our new lifetime members.
Grey long-eared Project
We are starting a multi year project in 2024, with the aim of finding roost sites of Somerset rarest bat, the grey long-eared bat (GLE).
Initially we aim to try to trap for grey long-eared bats in their typical habitat close to known records, and if we catch any, radio track them back to find their roost sites. Lots of volunteers will be needed for the radio tracking, and some for trapping.
We also plan to radio track any GLE released from bat care.
The project is being led by Daniel Hargreaves under Fiona Mathews’s licence.
TO START WE NEED EVERYONES HELP…
We have very few verified GLE records for Somerset (less than 30) with only a couple of roosts known. Hence if you have any GLE records please let us know by email : somersetbatgroup@gmail.com. Ideally tell us:
- Where? (as detailed location as you can within any confidentiality restraints)
- How many? Sex?
- When? how often recorded?
- How verified? DNA? measurements? any photos?
As about half the records are within a Km or two of the Somerset coast, we plan to focus our initial trapping in this area, from Porlock up the coast to Brean. We need help with identifying landowners so we can ask their permission. So if you know of any likely private landowners of unimproved pasture land with 2 km of the coast we would be very grateful for their contact details to somersetbatgroup@gmail.com
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
We plan to do two trapping seasons using harp traps, mist nets and acoustic lures:
- Latter part of May into early June
- Latter part of July and into August
The plan is to set up a couple of hours before sunset, and trap for two nights. If any GLE are trapped and radio tagged then we will track them until we have located all their roosts, or their tags run out of battery/fall off (about 9 days).
As the sites are likely to be really open, we will try to avoid full moon, as bat activity will be low. We also need a period of good weather before the sessions and a good forecast ahead to give the bats time to forage. We wouldn’t trap or track in periods of poor weather.
So bearing the above in mind, the current plan (which may change) is:
- Trapping 1 – Fri 17th and Sat 18th May 2024 (Sunday 19th as backup)
- Radio tracking 1 – possible from Sat 18th May right though to Mon 27th May
- Trapping 2 – Fri 31st and Sat 1st June 2024 (Sunday 2nd as backup)
- Radio tracking 2 – possible from Sat 1st June right though to Mon 10th June
As we are likely to catch mostly other bat species, this will be great experience at bat ID and handling, especially for those planning to apply for licences. It’s likely to be popular so preference will be given to members who can do some trapping and radio tracking nights.
If you would like to volunteer to help please say what dates you can do: somersetbatgroup@gmail.com
More details about the GLE project on our website: https://somersetbat.group/bats/gle/
Annual bat group meeting
It was great to see everyone in Othery Village hall for some lively discussions. You can read all about it:
Edford Woods Bat Box checks
Amber led an intrepid band around the old and new bat boxes in Edford Woods, north of Shepton Mallet. While bats have not found any of the new boxes yet, everyone was very happy to find a couple of very placid brown long-eareds in one of the older wooden boxes.
Then moving on to Wadbury bat house, where four Greater and one Lesser Horseshoes were seen.
Our next bat group events
There are lots of things planned, so come along and get involved!
- Fri 10th May – Frome Big Bat Count #1
- (new date) Sun 12th May – Harridge Bat Box Checks
- Sun 12th May – Great Breach and Ham Wall Bat Box Checks
- Fri 17th May – Highbridge Big Bat Count
- (new) Fri 17th & Sat 18th May – Grey long-eared Trapping 1
- (new) 17th May to 2nd June – Potential Grey long eared radio tracking 1
- Sat 25th May – Levels Bat Box Checks
- Sat 25th May – East Mendips Bat Box Checks
- (new) Fri 31st May & Sat 1st June – Grey long-eared Trapping 2
- (new) Fri 31st May to Mon 10th June – Potential Grey long eared radio tracking 2
For details on how to join these events please see the Upcoming Events page on our website: https://somersetbat.group/events/upcoming/
Bat Group Bulletin
Below is the latest BCT Bat Group Bulletin which includes news of this years National Bat Conference.
All past editions of the Bulletin can be found on this page of our website:
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME
For many 2023 members, their membership of the bat group will have lapsed at last weekends annual meeting. Hence there are now 50 people for who it is time to renew membership.
It costs just £5 per household to rejoin the bat group (free for students/unwaged), and your renewed membership would then run until our April 2025 AGM, on 12/4/25.
For regular members, you might like to consider taking out lifetime membership, which is just £50 per household.
Please pay your membership subs by BaCs or Paypal then complete our online membership form to update your information. Full details are on our website: https://somersetbat.group/join/
WELCOME TO OUR NEW LIFETIME MEMBERS
The group would like to warmly welcome the following members who gained lifetime membership in the last month:
- SBG0029 – Teresa
- SBG0030 – Dave
- SBG0031 – Paul