2024 Somerset Big Bat Counts

It was a another highly successful year for our community engagement event, the Big Bat Count.

Details of the 2024 Big Bat counts below:

  1. Frome 1 – 10/5/24
  2. Highbridge – 17/5/24
  3. Charlton Mackrell – 12/7/24
  4. Beggean Huish – 9/8/24
  5. Castle Cary – 10/8/24
  6. Frome 2 – 16/8/24
  7. Bridgwater – 17/8/24
  8. Kingsdon – 31/8/24
  9. Stoke St. Gregory
  10. Ham Hill – 13/9/24
  11. Taunton – 21/9/24

The results FAQ aims to answer many common questions about the processed results, including an explanation of why the numbers of “on the night” observations, and verified records, differ. 

FRI 10TH MAY ’24 – FROME BIG BAT COUNT #1

Our thanks to Frome Town Council for hosting another record breaking Big Bat Count.

Around 65 people in 11 teams set off and saw a record of 169 bat observations.

The two Pipistrelle species were again the most commonly seen, but there were more Serotine than last year.

Initial unverified observations from the night of 10th May 2024 are in iNaturalist:

The bat recordings made on the night, and stored on the tablets, have been analysed, and there are now an extra 83 verifiable bat recordings uploaded to iNaturalist across 5 species, Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle, Common Pipistrelle, Serotine, Noctule and Natterer’s:

FRI 17TH MAY ’24 – HIGHBRIDGE BIG BAT COUNT

A big thank you to the Our Highbridge team for organising this Big Bat Count as part of the Brue Green pathways project. And thanks to bat group member Matt for helping.

Around 20 people set off in 4 teams under very clear sunset skys. The openness to the west probably contributed to the bright twilight, and it was 40 mins after sunset before the first bats were seen.

Of the 65 records, the two Pipistrelle species were the most abundant, and there were several Noctules observed.

Initial unverified observations from the night of 17th May 2024 are in iNaturalist:

Highbridge Big Bat Count results map
Highbridge Big Bat Count results map
Highbridge Big Bat Count HQ, in a car park!
Highbridge Big Bat Count HQ, in a car park!

The bat recordings made on the night, stored on the tablets, have been analysed, and there are 25 extra verifiable recordings uploaded to iNaturalist across 3 species, Common Pipistrelle, Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle and Noctule:

Fri 12th July – CHARLTON’s BIG BAT COUNT

It was lovely to return to Charlton Mackrell Reading Rooms for our second Big Bat Count there. Thanks to local member Dave for organising.

A partly overcast night saw around 25 people in 6 teams log 84 bat observations.

  • 29 Common Pipistrelle (35%)
  • 17 Noctule (20%)
  • 15 Serotine (18%)
  • 9 Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle (11%)

These and the occasional AutoIDed observations of Leisler’s, Barbastelle, Lesser Horseshoe, Bechstein’s and Natterer’s needed verification as below.

This compares to our previous count in late August last year where of the 73 observations just over half (51%) were Common Pipistrelle and around a quarter (23%) Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle.

Initial unverified observations from the night of 12th July 2024 are in iNaturalist:

The bat recordings made on the night, and stored on the tablets, have now been analysed. There are 47 extra verifiable recordings uploaded to iNaturalist across 8 species; Common Pipistrelle, Serotine, Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle, Noctule, Barbastelle, Daubenton’s, Lesser Horseshoe and Natterer’s.

Fri 9th August – Beggearn Huish Big Bat Count

Thanks to Helen for organising our first Big Bat Count on the edge of Exmoor. Around 20 people met outside a lovely barn to set off in 6 teams around this small rural hamlet.

Of the 57 bat observations, the most frequent were Common and then Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle. A total of 11 species were AutoIDed, the 3 big bats, 5 Myotis and Nathusius’.

Initial unverified observations from the 9th August are in iNaturalist

The bat recordings made on the night, and stored on the tablets, have now been analysed. There are 40 extra verifiable recordings uploaded to iNaturalist across 6 species; Common Pipistrelle, Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle, Daubenton’s, Whiskered Bat, Brown Long-eared and Serotine.

  • Checking maps for Beggean Huish Big Bat Count
    Checking maps for Beggean Huish Big Bat Count
  • Beggean Huish Big Bat Count Briefing
    Beggean Huish Big Bat Count Briefing
  • Beggean Huish Big Bat Count - Detecting
    Beggean Huish Big Bat Count – Detecting
I hope bats can read…

SAT 10TH AUGUST – CASTLE CARY BIG BAT COUNT

The location of our first Big Bat Count, and now our third one in Cary. Thanks again to group member Neville for superb organising.

Around 30 people met in the School Rooms under the Methodist church, to split off into 6 groups. An outage of the EE mobile network in the area meant that not all teams were able to upload results, however the bat recordings will be saved and records can be uploaded during verification later.

82 bat observations across 6 species were able to be uploaded on the night. Approaching half were Common Pipistrelle, with Serotine and Noctule being the next most frequent.

Initial unverified observations from the night are in iNaturalist:

The bat recordings made on the night, and stored on the tablets, have now been analysed. There are 57 extra verifiable results uploaded to iNaturalist across 5 species; Common Pipistrelle, Serotine, Noctule, Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle and Daubenton’s.

FRI 16TH AUG – FROME BIG BAT COUNT #2

Another record breaking night in Frome! Our many thanks to Frome Town Council for hosting, and Jo in particular for the superb organising! Our thanks also Steve Roe, BCT Trustee, who recorded an episode of the podcast Bat Chat, listen on the link below:

On a still, warm and clear evening around 60 people in 11 teams made a total of 210 bat observations.  Common and then Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle made up the majority of sightings. But there were 10 other species, including a number of Noctule, and a couple of Greater Horseshoes, a first for a Frome Big Bat Count.

Thank you to everyone who took part to make it such a success. Please do email any photos from the night to Jo or somersetbatgroup@gmail.com.

Initial unverified observations from the night are in iNaturalist:

Frome Big Bat Count#2 - 24th Aug 2024
Frome Big Bat Count#2 - Map of unverified observations made on the night - 24th Aug 2024
BCT trustee Steve Roe making a episode of BatChat at Frome Big Bat Count#2

The bat recordings made on the night, and stored on the tablets, have been analysed, and there are now an extra 89 verifiable bat recordings uploaded to iNaturalist across 6 species: Common Pipistrelle, Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle, Serotine, Noctule, Daubenton’s and a first for a Frome count, a rare Greater Horseshoe Bat recorded along the river in Rodden Meadows.

Sat 17th AUG – Bridgwater BIG BAT COUNT

Wilstock briefing

Thank you to the friends of Wilstock and Stockmoor Country Park for superb organising, and the team from Dunwear group who joined in.

Around 25 people met on a overcast night with a surprisingly chilly wind to split up into 6 survey teams. A total of 90 bat observations were made across 7 species, with Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle and Noctule making up the majority of the sightings.

Initial unverified results from the night are in iNaturalist:

The bat recordings made on the night, and stored on the tablets, have been analysed, and it was a challenge as many recordings contained several species, both pips and big bats together. This was especially true at Dunwear.

There are now an extra 79 verifiable bat recordings uploaded to iNaturalist across 6 species, 4 of which are commoner species: Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle, Noctule, Common Pipistrelle, Daubenton’s. The records for the rarer Lesser Noctulee (Leisler’s) and Barbastelle will need to be looked at closely by more bat experts, before they can become verified “Research grade” records.

Sat 31st Aug – Kingsdon Big Bat Count

This Big Bat Count was successfully run by the community in Kingsdon, and our thanks to Ian for coming to pick up the kit.

A total of 7 teams set off, with one detector left at base.

The bat recordings made on the night, and stored on the tablets, have now been analysed. There are 41 verifiable results uploaded to iNaturalist across 10 species; Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle Common Pipistrelle, Serotine, Noctule, Western Barbastelle and up to 5 Myotis , which may well end up verified to Myotis species level only, as these calls are very difficult to tell apart: Whiskered, Bechstein’s, Brandt’s, Natterer’s and Daubenton’s.

W’END 6/7/8 SEPT – STOKE ST GREGORY BIG BAT COUNT

Cancelled due to weather. A private big bat count for Stoke St Gregory environment group. Help from bat group members would be very welcome, contact us if you can help.

FRI 13TH SEPT – HAM HILL BIG BAT COUNT

Thank you to Helen Hawke for superb organising of this Big Bat Count among the villages around Ham Hill, west of Yeovil.

Around 40 people met to split up into 11 village teams. A total of 118 bat observations were made across 12 species, with Common Pipistrelle being the most commonly observed.

The initial unverified results from the night are in iNaturalist:

The bat recordings made on the night, and stored on the tablets, have been analysed, and there are now an extra 60 verifiable bat recordings uploaded to iNaturalist across 6 species: Common Pipistrelle, Serotine, Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelle, Noctule, Natterer’s Bat, and a Brown Long-eared Bat

Sat 21st Sept ’24 – Taunton Big Bat Count

Cancelled due to weather: Returning to Taunton to repeat our 2022 Big Bat Count launch event.

Thanks!

The Somerset Bat Group is grateful to:

SERC logo
Hinkley Point C Community Fund
Somerset Community Foundation