Reporting bat sightings

"Any Bat record is useful"
Bat Recorder for Bedfordshire

(c)Joan Childs

In order to conserve bats in Bedfordshire we need to collect as much information about them as we can. We are often approached by consultants for information about the distribution of bats in the county, and the more information we can provide, the better it is for bats, especially with the level of development being planned in the area at present.

 

 

"All records are equal but some records are more useful than others"

 

(With apologies to George Orwell)

We are therefore keen to have ANY record of bat activity, in whatever level of detail you have available. One member's observation that " I have bats flying in my garden but they don't seem to be like the other bats I've seen" led us to our first serotine record .

Obviously the more detailed the information is the better it is for us.

 

The more specific the location the more useful your record is .Click here for a reminder of how to give a six letter grid reference. If our explanation does your head in, don't despair, the record is still useful if you give a more general location - it just isn't QUITE as useful

 

If you can give as idea of species so much the better- but even with a bat detector this can be hard to do, even sonogram analysis won't always give us the answer.

For more information on things to look for, click on the links below

• Article from April 2006 newsletter on recognising bats in flight (PDF)

If you want to learn how to Harrold Odell Country Park . Priory Country Park, Stockwood Park Luton or Sandy Surveys

What information do we want ?

 

We are always interested to know if you have a bat roost. Click here for more information if you think you might have one

 

Click here to download a word document version of the Bedfordshire Bat group record sheet and information on how to complete it

 

Click here for the same document as a .pdf file

 

How do I get this record to you?

In an ideal world you could complete the form effortlessly on line. but there is nothing in the known universe more annoying than an online form which doesn't work and we are not going to risk alienating you, so for the moment do one of the following,

Since we introduced this system in 2006 we have received some very interesting records , which have been most helpful to us.

• Download the record sheet, fill in by hand and post to the address on the bottom of the form. (If you are a member, you can send any forms to us in October when you renew your subscription)
• Download the form, saving it as a word document or pdf file, type in the information and e mail it back to us
• Read the form and the guidance notes, don't fill it in but send us an e-mail description of what you have seen covering as many of the points as you can. If you give us a phone number we can then ring to pick your brain further if the record is particularly tantalsing