After the crazy busy month of May, June, with its light nights, is traditionally a quieter month for the bat group. However we still have lots to update you on:
- Our first build a bat detector workshops were a great success!
- Report from a late night Big Bat Count.
- Can you help with??? Requests to the bat group.
- Lots of batty events coming up.
- Ex libris Dave Cottle – Batty books in return for donations to the group.
- The latest BCT Bat Group Bulletin includes news of a consultation on biodiversity net gain.
- For people who joined in 2024 your membership has now lapsed, time for many to renew!
We made our own bat detector!
On Sat 14th June, the Bat group took over the Somerset Earth Science Centre near Stoke St. Michael for our first ever Bat Detector making workshops.
All the devices from the Pipistrelle family of devices were built over a morning and afternoon session, and the feedback has been fantastic:
“it was such an interesting, enjoyable, and inspiring day! All three of us left the workshop buzzing with excitement from learning new skills, building something we didn’t think we were capable of, and walking away with three epic bat detectors!”
Andy, organising the event said
“I was so happy that everyone managed to neatly assemble their detectors. We had some issues with the wind outside meaning the hotplate did not reach full temperature in the morning, but I’m so happy that everyone has now got a working detector.
Lots of lessons were learnt over the course of the day, mostly by me:
- Allow more time – two hours was not enough!
- Only have groups building similar detectors at the same time. To many detector types just add to the time needed (and the organisers stress)”
So responding to this, for future workshops we will have:
- Standard Workshops – For building mini PiPistrelle or Griff 384kHz USB microphone (iOS only) – 3 hours
- Advanced Workshops – For building recording devices; PiPistrelle or PippyG – 4 hours
Click here for full details of how the workshops work, and what amazing detectors you can build.
The Next Build your own Bat Detector Workshops …
Sat 5th July – Avalon Marshes Centre
- Morning session: 10AM to 1PM (FULL). Afternoon session: 2 to 5PM (FULL)
SAT 19th July – SWT Taunton
- Morning session: 10AM to 1PM (FULL). Afternoon session: 2 to 5PM (1 space)
- Booking is via the Somerset Wildlife Trust – Morning workshop – Afternoon workshop
The Bat Detector building workshops have been booking up so fast, with waiting lists for each. So we have now added some extra sessions:
SAT 11th Oct – Standard Workshop in Bawdrip
- 10AM to 1PM
- Bawdrip Parish Hall, Badgers, Eastside Ln, Bawdrip, Bridgwater TA7 8QB
- The workshop is for a local community group, but there may be extra spaces available – email to enquire – somersetbatgroup@gmail.com
Sat 15TH Nov – Workshops in Stoke St. Michael
- Standard Workshop = 9:30AM to 12:30PM
- Advanced Workshop = 1:30AM to 5:30PM
- Somerset Earth Science Centre, Moons Hill Quarry, Stoke St. Michael, Radstock, Somerset BA3 5JU
- Venue hire fee = £5 per person building detectors
- email to reserve a place – somersetbatgroup@gmail.com
Sun 15th June – Berrow Big Bat Count
This count had to be rescheduled due to weather, and hence four small teams from Berrow Conservation Group, set off on a clear, but quite breezy night.
With just two teams recording in iNaturalist there were just 9 observations on the night, all of Common Pipistrelle.
The bat recordings made on the night, and stored on the tablets, have now been analysed, and there are an extra 34 verifiable bat recordings uploaded to iNaturalist from 4 species,
Common Pipistrelle were by far and away the most frequently recorded, but Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle were also recorded south of St. Mary’s Church. Serotine were recorded east of Berrow village. While a single recording of a possible Nathusius’ Pipistrelle near the pond south of St. Mary’s Church which will need more validation.
- 4 Verifiable species recording at the Berrow Big Bat Count 15th June 2025
- Bat map of the 34 verifiable bat recordings from Big Bat Count 15/6/25
- Validated “Research Grade” bat records
CAN YOU HELP WITH …?
The bat group receives far more requests for help than the committee can do. Hence please get in touch with the contact below if you think you could help out with this recent request:
- Green Ilminster group would like a talk on “Bats in Somerset”. They meet at the Ilminster Arts Centre on the 3rd Wednesday evening of the month, Sept to April and it usually involves a 40-45 talk followed by Q&A. Contact us if you can help.
- Glastonbury Abbey will be hosting Monday evening bat walks for groups of the public around Glastonbury Abbey, led by Abbey wildlife volunteers accompanied by a staff member. The Abbey are loaning some of the group’s detectors for this.
The dates for the bat walks are: 7th July, 14th July, 11th Aug, 18th Aug, 8th Sept and 15th Sept. The Abbey would love experienced members along to help – email Anton for details, and to offer to assist.
2025 Bat group Events
Come along and get involved! The next events coming up are:
- July – NBMP Field Surveys
- 5July – Bat Detector Building workshops – Levels
- 19July – Bat Detector Building workshop – Taunton
- 25July – Ham Hill Big Bat Count
- August – NBMP Waterways Surveys
- 3Aug – Glastonbury Bat box Checks
- 9Aug – Castle Cary Big Bat Count
- 16Aug – Maidenbrook Country Park, Taunton – Big Bat Count
- 19Aug – Frome Big Bat Count #2
- 23Aug – Blagdon Hill, Taunton – Big Bat Count
Details of how to get involved for all events are on the website: https://somersetbat.group/events/
ex libris Dave Cottle
We still have some bat books from the collection of Dave Cottle. All listed below are still available, in return for a donation to the bat group. Please email us ASAP, if you would like to reserve anything:
Hardback books (by publication date)
- Hedgehogs – Pat Morris – 1983
- The Lives of Bats – Wilfred Schober – 1984
- Bats – Phil Richardson (signed copy) – 1985
- A Guide to Bats of Britain and Europe – Wilfried Schober & Eckard Grimmberger – 1989
- Bats, a world of science and mystery – M.Brock Fenton & Nancy B Simmons – 2014
- Bat Calls of Britain and Europe – Jon Russ – 2021
Softback books and pamphlets (by publication date)
- Distribution and status of Bats in Europe – RE Stebbings – 1986
- The Complete Bat – James Robertson – 1990
- Walkers Bats of the World – Ronald M. Nowak – 1994
- The world of Bats – acoustic ID of French Bats – Michel Barataud – 1995
- Bat Mitigation Guidelines – English Nature – 2004
- Eurobats 1991-2006
- The Bat Workers Manual 3rd Edition
- The lesser horseshoe Bat conservation Handbook – VWT – 2008
Leaflets
- Lots and lots, going back over the years. Ask, and Dave may well have it!
Bat Group Bulletin
This month’s BCT Bat Group Bulletin includes news that DEFRA has recently published a consultation on biodiversity net gain on minor, medium and brownfield development.
Back copies of all past Bat Group Bulletins are on the link below:
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL time
The membership of people who last paid subs in the first part of 2024 has now lapsed.
Hence it is now time for many to renew your membership. We will let you know if you need to renew via your bat group newsletter, so please check your inbox (and spam).
It costs just £5 per household to rejoin the bat group (free for students/unwaged), and your renewed membership would then run until our 2026 AGM, on 18th April 2026.
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 (if applicable). Then:
- If your details have changed, please complete our online membership form to update your information.
- OR, if nothings changed, simply just drop us an email to let us know you have paid, or that you are still eligible for free membership.
Full details on our website: https://somersetbat.group/join/