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Big Wetlands Bat Survey 2011 – Year of the Bat
Once again the Wildlife Trust will be organising over 40 bat surveys with the help of volunteers and the public and you could have a chance to join in this year, the Year of the Bat.
In 2010 over a hundred people across three counties joined volunteers and staff during European Bat Night on August 28th 2010 and helped to carry out our Big Wetlands Bat Survey on seven different nature reserves. The weather turned out to be perfect for a night packed full of “brilliant bats”, as one visitor said.
If you would like to join in again and come along to one of our guided bat walks, public surveys or bat identification courses, check out our events diary in the coming months. One key date for your diary is European Bat Night, Saturday 27 August 2011, when you can come along and help with our Big Wetlands Bat Survey once again, on natures reserves including Cambourne, Flitwick Moor and Summer Leys.
Alternatively, if you would like to become a volunteer and help with regular bat survey this year contact Ecology Groups Officer Henry Stanier (see end).
Big Wetlands Bat Survey 2010
The final results are in from our 2010 Big Wetlands Bat Surveys and it is exciting news with the discovery of rare bats at more than one nature reserve.
Barbastelle – discovered at Cambourne and also near Woodwalton Fen, a key reserve in the Great Fen in Cambridgeshire
Nathusius’ Pipistrelle – at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire
Serotine – at Pitsford Water, Northamptonshire
Staff and volunteers have been sorting the data collected and we can now reveal that eight of the twelve species of bat in the area were recorded across seven nature reserves, and that the rare Barbastelle has been discovered for the first time on two reserves in Cambridgeshire. In addition, the migratory bat Nathusius’ Pipistrelle has also been detected again, as had been hoped.
Henry Stanier, Ecology Groups Officer of the Wildlife Trust BCNP said: “Once again, our volunteers have helped to illuminate and champion our local wildlife and bring others closer to a greater appreciation of it and help gather really useful data to protect and enhance the habitats of these amazing creatures.”
Liaising with other the organisers of bat events across Europe, similar events have shown an interesting difference between our local environment, here in the UK, and other countries such as Hungary, where they have far more woodland species of bat.
Our records will be used both for our own reserve management process and added to local and national datasets, including the Nathusius’ Pipistrelle monitoring project.
Final survey results:
Cambourne |
Flitwick Moor |
Grafham Water | Pitsford Water |
Stibbington |
Summer Leys |
Woodwalton Fen |
|
Barbastella barbastellus (Western Barbastelle) |
Y | Y |
|||||
Eptesicus serotinus (Serotine) |
Y |
||||||
Myotis brandti (Brandt's Bat) |
|||||||
Myotis daubentonii (Daubenton's Bat) |
Y |
Y | Y | Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Myotis mystacinus (Whiskered Bat) |
|||||||
Myotis nattereri (Natterer's Bat |
|||||||
Nyctalus leisleri (Leisler's Bat) |
|||||||
Nyctalus noctula (Noctule) |
Y |
Y |
Y | Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Pipistrellus nathusii (Nathusius’ Pipistrelle) |
Y | ||||||
Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Common Pipistrelle) |
Y |
Y |
Y | Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Pipistrellus pygmaeus (Soprano Pipistrelle) |
Y |
Y |
Y | Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Plecotus auritus (Brown Long-eared bat) |
Y |
||||||
Unidentified Myotis sp |
Y |
Y |
Y | Y |
Y | Y |
Y |
Personal experiences
The volunteers from the Ecology Groups were essential to providing this fascinating experience for the public, as well as gathering important data but what else did they get out of it?
“The best bits at Stibbington were standing in the field entrance and watching large numbers of Soprano Pipistrelles commuting just above our heads into the reserve to feed above the lake. Using the light of the red torch to watch a Pipistrelle have several attempts to pick a large moth off the surface of the lake, flying in a small circle between attempts, and succeeding in the end.” Anne Costello, volunteer
"It was interesting to hear the echolocations and to learn that bats have different frequencies. It was a long walk and they were able to keep the information flowing to keep people interested. I liked the facts they gave; I didn't know that bats had different frequencies and that each bat has its own sound...I liked hearing the 'chip chop'." Freedom Scott Tansley (8yrs), volunteer
"The highlight of the night for myself was along the drain, hearing the boisterous feeding frenzy of over 20 bats on handfuls of bat detectors and then we all turned them off and there was nothing but the still night sky with the rising moon...to realize that there was so much noise out there that we are immune to makes me contemplate how much more of the natural world we must be completely oblivious to." Peg Tansley, volunteer
Adopt a Barbastelle Bat
Barbastelle bats are a very rare woodland species unique in their frosted appearance and pug-like squashed face. The money raised by your adoption will help the Trust protect the habitats required for these species to survive. Click here for more information and to view the other species available to adopt.
Next steps
For more information about become a regular bat surveyor contact Henry Stanier, the Ecology Groups Officer, on 01954 713519 or email ecologygroups@wildlifebcnp.org.