Diario del proyecto Somerset Big Bat Count

A superb turnout for out first rural count of the year. Approx 25 people across 7 teams recorded 148 bats across 12 auto-Ided species.

A huge thank you to all who came along, and especially to Jolyon and Jo for the hosting and warm welcome.

Common Pipistrelle and Noctule were the most frequently recorded, with the first Nocule been seen 3 minutes before sunset near the church.

Serotine were also common, but there were three exciting species all with over a dozen sightings

• Leisler’s
• Barbastelle
• Nathusius Pipistrelle.

Obviously these three will need more verification before they can be confirmed. This also applies to the other species recorded:

• Brown Long-Eared
• Soprano Pipistrelle
• Bechstein’s
• Whiskered
• Brandt’s
• Daubenton’s

The full results can be viewed in iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?created_on=2023-05-19&place_id=any&project_id=all-bats-in-somerset&subview=map&verifiable=any

A large group of nearly 40 people met in Frome Town Hall for a somewhat cold night of bat counting. A total of 101 bats were recorded, with Soprano and Common Pipistrelle being the most common. Several Noctule were heard, along with a possible 6 other species which will need more verification.

A huge thank you to all who came along, hope to see you on August 18th for the return visit.

Full results are in iNaturalist. - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?created_on=2023-05-12&place_id=any&project_id=all-bats-in-somerset&subview=map&verifiable=any

After several postponements due to rain, we finally got a dry night, abit one that cooled off quickly.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came along:

• 106 records of bats
• a new common pipistrelle roost found

• and the rescued brown long-eared bat released itself!
  Overall a very successful night.

Looking at the recordings made, common pipistrelle is by far the most abundant, but we also recorded confirmed soprano (pygmy) pipistrelles, serotine, myotis (species) and one faint lesser horseshoe recorded by the old brewery near the entrance to Yew Tree Antiques.

You can see all the results on the map on the iNaturalist website: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/wiveliscombe-bat-survey-08-22?tab=observations&subtab=map

My sincere thanks to all, and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.

Andy
Somerset Bat Group
https://somersetbat.group/

A great turnout of over 20 from the High Littleton and Hallatrow Environmental Group, saw three groups log 75 bat records. Our first foray outside Somerset, this was a joint Big Bat Count with Avon Bat Group, and we were pleased the welcome their ex. chair Dave back to the bat world!

Noctules were seen straight after sunset, with common and soprano pipistrelle also frequent. Daubenton's were also seen near the Cam Brooke.

Initial results are in iNaturalist - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=big-bat-count&subview=map&verifiable=any

A huge thank you for making us so welcome in Kingsdon!

A warm still night meant the eight teams recorded 128 bat flight records.
Common Pipistrelles were the most abundant, followed by Soprano (Pygmy) Pipistrelles.

A first quick analysis of the recordings shows:

• Many of the Noctules are noise files. This is common as the Noctule echolocates at the lowest frequency.
• A lesser horseshoe bat was recorded in the far north at the edge of the woods, and not ID'ed by the detector at the time. This has been uploaded to iNaturalist as a verifiable record

A big thank you to everyone who came out and made it such an enjoyable and well organised night!

Andy and Adel

Five teams, 11 people in total met in the George Hotel in the middle of Cary.
A warm night meant there were 80 bat records added to iNaturalist. Doubling overnight the previous number of Somerset bat records.
A Serotine roost was also spotted by Adel in the middle of town.