Roost watching / bat counting
A good way of studying bats without a licence is to sit and watch them fly, watch where they go and what sort of flight pattern they use. If you know of a bat roost, a very valuable source of information is how many bats are in it, and what species they are. Even if bat ID is not known, numbers and location are still useful as the species can be checked later: the same species is likely to return each summer. A bat detector will enable you to hear a version of their echolocation calls and help with the identification of the species. Position yourself where the bats are about to come out and try to move so that they will be silhouetted against the darkening sky. Keep counting basically until they stop coming out! Remember to subtract bats that re-enter the roost. Counting bats does not have to be an arduous scientific study, some Northumberland roost owners carry out an annual count of their batty lodgers accompanied by friends, a barbeque and a glass of wine!
If you are particularly keen (and ideally, prone to insomnia!) try finding new roosts by watching for pre-dawn swarming. This involves being in a likely looking bat area before dawn and watching for bats congregating, then following the bats back to their roost. Please remember that if your study is not in a public space or on public right of way, that you get the land-owners permission first.
Detectors can be a bit tricky to get the hang of, click on this link to find out more about them or why not come on a bat walk or course and find out how to use one?
You can help us, and the UK conservation of bats, by reporting any roost information to the county recorder.
Click this link to send us a message
There are a number of annual surveys run as an ongoing scientific study by the Bat Conservation Trust, click this link to see what they are and take part. If you do decide to take part, please send your results to the county recorder too, so that your information can help bats locally as well as giving national statistics.
