Upcoming Bat Group events

Our calendar for upcoming events is below, we will be adding details throughout the year so please do check back. 

 

NBMP Winter Hibernation Counts – December to Feb 2020

Licenced bat workers carry out surveys of hibernation sites from December to March each year.  More details about the hibernation survey on BCTs website 

Keep an eye on our Facebook group, for more surveyors requesting help.  The current requests for help are:

  • Burrington Combe, three spaces on each, (2nd Dec update – all dates fully booked), contact Pete Banfield.
    • 8th December 2019
    • 5th January 2020
    • 9th February 2020
  • Taunton Police Station Tunnels in January and February 2020 (TBC) contact Cath Shellswell if interested.  Priority given to VBRV trainees.
  • Several morning visits to Mells valley bat houses contact Adel Avery for details.
    • Sunday 15th Dec 19 – Keepers Cottage, Harridge Woods,  BA3 5AA.
    • Sunday 19th Jan – Keepers Cottage and Wadbury Bat house (possibly Asham Stone Tunnel if we can get the confined spaces permissions).
    • Sunday 16th Feb – Keepers Cottage and Wadbury Bat house (possibly Asham as above)

AGM – Saturday 25th April 2020 – Location TBC

Come find about our plans for the year, and have a say in the running of the group.

  • Membership subs for coming year are due – £5 per household.
  • Guest speaker, Tea and Cake
  • 2 to 4:30 PM  Location to be confirmed but possibly Taunton way

Bat Box checks Taunton  – Sat in May 2020

Checking the boxes in  Comeytrowe Park and Longrun Meadow, Taunton. Contact Cath Shellswell if attending

Levels Bat Box checks – Sat in April/May 2020

Checking bat boxes in Westhay, Catcott SWT reserves, Shapwick Heath & Canada Farm (NE).  Last year we found the earliest pups in the country, what will this year bring?

  • Contact leader if coming: Paul Kennedy
  • 10am > 3pm.  All day event, bring packed lunch.
  • Westhay SWT, Daggs Lane Drove ST456437/Catcott SWT ST399414

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 a experienced bat worker, and in many cases they need lots of help.  Hence there any many opportunities learn more while doing you 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

Late July to early September – NBMP Woodland Surveys

  • Monitoring barbastelles at sites designated as Special Areas of Conservation.
  • One hour recording transects in mature broadleaved Somerset woodlands.

August – NBMP Waterways Surveys

  • Monitoring activity of Daubenton’s bats along Somersets waterways.
  • Two waterside recording walks, starting 40mins after sunset – more details

Shapwick Bat Walk – Friday 31st July 2020

Public bat walk for Natural England on the Shapwick reserve.  Help from bat group members welcome, contact leader if attending

  • Meet at 8:30 PM at Shapwick Car Park, plan to end at 10:30PM ish
  • Leader: Dave Cottle (01749 674257) 

Wells Bat Walk –  Tues 25th August and Tues 1st Sept 2020

Dave’s hugely popular walk for Wells and Mendip SWT group, round Bishop’s  Palace, Wells.  Public event, but due to the huge numbers attending bat group support welcome.  email leader if coming to help.  Due to the numbers split over 2 nights this year.

  • Approx. 8 to 10pm  Meet: by gatehouse over moat.
  • Leader: Dave Cottle (01749 674257) 
  • Bishop’s Palace, Wells, BA5 2PD, parking nearby Market Square or Silver St.

Frome Bat Walk – Sat in early September 2020

Another popular public walk this time lead by Adel for Frome Outdoor Open Spaces Group event at Welshmill Park, Frome.  Bat group members support welcome, please email Adel  if attending. £2 pp. (non members)

  • 7pm for 7:15 start, to 9 pm ish
  • Leader: Adel Avery
  • Meet:  Cheese and Grain Car Park by Canoe Club in Frome.

Bat Box checks Taunton  – Sat in Sept 2020

Checking the boxes in  Comeytrowe Park and Longrun Meadow, Taunton. Contact Cath Shellswell if attending.

Bat Box Checks  – Saturday in October 2019

Great Breach Wood for the morning visit.  For the afternoon we’ll visit Ham Wall/Loxton’s Plot  Expect to see some Soprano pips, plus random bonus other species if we’re really lucky. And a nice walk through the trees!

Harridge Bat Box Checks  – Saturday in late 2020 (tbc)

Probably starting  in Edford before moving on to Harridge.  We regularly find a few Noctules which seem to over-winter in their box.