How do I get involved with and help bats?
| 09:59 UK time, Wednesday, 14 October 2009
We have an impressive 17 resident species of bat in the UK. Seeing and hearing bats can be a thrilling experience for the whole family, but their nocturnal nature means that they're not always the easiest animal to see.
The best way to enjoy bats is to go on an organised bat walk. You'll be given a bat detector to enable you to hear their ultrasonic calls which can help you identify the species. As bats hibernate for winter, this month may be your last chance to catch them. Get in touch with your local bat group to find the nearest evening walk. There are more than 100 local groups across the UK.
Alternatively you can also do some very simple things at home to help bats. Putting up a bat box or making one [PDF] provides them with a safe roosting spot, while planting night scented flowers or having a pond will help to encourage bats in your garden.
If you'd like to do even more to support bats then get in touch with The Bat Conservation Trust where you can take part in the National Bat Monitoring Programme, or count bats to collect essential data which helps keep track of UK bat populations and inform their conservation work. Alternatively you could find out about training to become a Roost Visitor.
How to help bats
What if you find a bat on the ground, or have one flying around in your house? Or if you'd like to carry out building work but have bats roosting on your property? The Bat Conservation Trust runs the National Bat Helpline, providing information to anyone needing advice on issues relating to bats.
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Hi Martin i love bats only have a small garden,any suggestions of types of night flowering plants would be very welcome.Love autumnwatch and autumnwatch unsprung keep up the great work,can't wait for fridays programme
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It's great to highlight Bats as they are often a bit of a Cinderella species. There was a comment on the price of bat detectors on the AW messageboard and I remembered that about 15 years ago I'd made a pretty effective Bat detector out of a tranistor radio. The cost of the radio and parts are pretty low and it requires minimal technical expertise and effort to do the conversions. When I searched around on the internet I found a link to a similar conversion, but unfortunately the radio was not one currently available. However, it makes it clear that this could be adapted to other similar cheap AM radios. So my suggestion is would it be possible for someone in the BBC's technical department to produce a more updated factsheet on converting currently available cheap AM radios. I would have thought that this type of simple project would be ideal for families, schools or clubs/societies etc, that wouldn't normally go to the expense of buying a proper Bat detector. It is the ideal type of thing to get people involved and would just take a bit of research from the technical department at the BBC to provide a factsheet.
Here is a link to the thread although I'm not sure if it will show - the thread was titled "Price of Bat Detectors"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbsn/F14197738?thread=6989145
http://www.btinternet.com/~mr.pentops/bat.htm
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Sorry Martin meant night 'scented' flowering plants oops!
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we have seen bats flying about where we live during the day at about 10.30am and wondered because it was very wet overnight and much drier in the morning thoght they might have been looking for food
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Hello Martin
Watched Autumnwatch on the iplayer last night and loved your piece on the bats. Thought I would have a problem with it as I have always been scared of them. Wouldn't go near the bat house at our wildlife park but, as you say, they are fascinating little creatures and really beautiful.
Think my problem stems back to when I was a little girl (long time ago I'm afraid) and a bat flew in through my open bedroom window. My mum shrieked and made me dive under the covers saying that if it got tangled in my hair we would never get it out and I think she really believed it. Makes her sound a complete nut I know but she wasn't, honest!
My question is where and how did this old wives tale come about?
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Well done for last week's coverage on bats. One in the studio too, Fantastic!. A quarter of the worlds mammals are bats. We need to dispel the myths surrounding these important little creatures. Any chance of introducing the 17 different species? It would be great to teach the general puplic that they are not monsters, vampiers or fruit bats in this country.I take educational licenced bats out to events to meet the public and hear all the time that we have vampiers, and fruit bats feeding in the apple tree in the garden. We desperately need to get these little creatures and their importance understood and stop all the untrue myths. How about it? comon martin we have a golden opportunity to dispel all these fantasies.You have the president of BCT presenting so let us hear even more! They are our most misunderstood creature.
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Speaking of helping bats by getting involved with monitoring and your local bat group, here's an event which will be of interest to those of you in the North-West (one of the talks will be by local bat expert Charlie Liggett)...
The recently-established Merseyside and West Lancashire Mammal Group is about to launch a five-year Atlas project and we would love you to be involved!
The launch is being held on the 24th of October 2009 at the Treasure House Theatre of the World Museum Liverpool. The morning will consist of a number of short talks on some significant local mammal species [that's where the bats come in] as well as information about how to get involved in the Atlas. The launch is completely FREE to attend but there are limited places so you need to book on quickly.
If you would like to attend, please follow this link http://www.smart-survey.co.uk/v.asp?i=14236aboxe to complete an online booking form. Any questions? Try [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]erseysideBioBank.org.uk
... and if you do go for it I shall see you there! [Personal details removed by Moderator][Personal details removed by Moderator][Personal details removed by Moderator]
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We see one or two small bats flying around our garden at dusk but have no idea where they are roosting, how do I find out? I love seeing them and like to stand outside the house so I can hear them flying by as its so quiet in the garden.
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A question:
we have a lot of bat's in our garden and surrounding area but because of the speed in which they fly and the failing light never get a real good look at them, how is the best way to identify what they are?
TBow
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