Current Status of bat events in Somerset
Events with no close contact with Bats
These include bat walks and talks, external acoustic and visual surveys.
Current Status (July 2021 onwards) – Green, no restrictions apply. Events with no close bat contact can proceed according to national and local restrictions. In line with government guidelines, we ask all attendees to events to consider “hands, face, space” and to wear a mask when in enclosed or confined spaces.
Events with close contact with bats
These include bat box checks, trapping and internal bat roost visits.
Current Status (Mar 2022 onwards) – Amber, Medium Risk. Events with close bat contact can proceed with caution, and use our protect strategies to mitigate risk.
Please see this page for full details of the current event risk level, and our strategies to protect bats.
NATIONAL BAT MONITORING PROGRAMS
For many years, lots of group members have collected and contributed data to these national monitoring programs run by the BCT. Each survey site is allocated to an experienced bat worker, and in many cases, they need lots of help. Hence there any many opportunities to learn more while doing your bit to help bat conservation.
The surveys happen at the same time every year, so watch out for the emails and Facebook messages nearer the time for details of when, where and who the lead contact is:
LATE MAY TO EARLY JULY – NBMP ROOST SURVEYS
- Sunset emergent counts at roosts across Somerset – more details
JULY – NBMP FIELD SURVEYS
- Monitoring noctule, serotine, common pipistrelle and soprano pipistrelle.
- Two 1km recording walks, starting 20mins after sunset. – more details
AUGUST – NBMP WATERWAYS SURVEYS
- Monitoring activity of Daubenton’s bats along Somersets waterways.
- Two waterside recording walks, starting 40mins after sunset – more details
Sat 23rd July 2022 – Wells BIo Blitz BAt walk
Private event for the Sustainable Wells group. Experienced members are welcome to help – email Dave for details, and to offer to assist.
Radio Tracking Bechstein’s BAt – May & July/ August 2022
Joint project with Dorset Bat group in mid-Somerset as part of the Bechstein’s “finding its limit” project. Our target wood will be Swell Wood RSPB reserve near Fivehead off the A378.
There would be two tracking periods each lasting about a week due to tag battery life. Currently, we’re thinking of 2nd to 8th May for pre-breeding and then 25th July to 1st August for post-breeding.
- Lots of volunteers are required, willing to stay up for one or two nights during the weeks tracking.
- As it is “all night”, volunteers are expected not to go to work the following day.
- Volunteers will need to be fully paid up SBG or DBG members to be covered by Third Party Insurance
The trapping nights will be popular so we will have to heavily restrict numbers for those. There may be very limited opportunity to look at other species of bats due to current Covid-19 guidelines on contact with bats. At present we will just release any non-target bat species immediately. We’re hoping that things may relax a little by the summer in this regard but can’t promise anything.
Fri 26th Aug 2022 – Tauton Big Bat Count
As part of the Great Somerset Wildlife Count, the bat group is planning to help people to count the bats of their local area with a community mapping project.
The launch event is planned for central Taunton on 26th August 2022, and lots of help from bat group members would be very welcome. More details on this page.
SAT 17TH SEPT 2021 – FROME BAT WALK
Public event for Frome FROGS group during Big Green Week. Experienced members welcome to help – email Adel to assist.
- 7:15PM start at Frome Market Yard.