Created January 2012
Last updated July 18th 2012

 

 

The bat group holds a number of events for members. We try to make these as enjoyable as possible

 

 

 

This page lists the events organised for bat group members. Some of these re open to non members.. It would be helpful if you can let us know if you are planning to attend so we can ensure  their is sufficient cake available.

 

 

 

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Dates for this year’s checks
May  6th
June 2nd  completed June 4th
July   29th ( NB change of date, we’ve out it back a week because of late births)
August 18th
September 23rd
October 20th

We’ll canvas those who expressed interest to select the dates which are more convenient.

As there are fifty boxes to check , this will take all day

 

 

 

 

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Woodland Surveys Members only

- Various dates throughout the season,. See newsgroup for details.. These m ay involve difficult terrain check with organisers.

 

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Bechstein’s survey Members only

We’re going to be helping  Bristol University Msc  student Lia Gilmour look for Bechstein’s Bat in Bedfordshire woods , using the protocol devised during the Bat Conservation Trust’s Bechstein’s Project. Thus means we will have a chance to play with harp traps and Autobats which play bat calls to lure the Bechstein’s in. We will be helped out by members of the North Bucks Group who were so spectacularly successful when they went looking for Bechstein’s. Hope their luck rubs off on us.

We now have dates for phase 1.:Thursday 31st May  Friday June 1st and Sunday June 3rd (weather permitting). Contact Bob.

Dates for phase 2- Fri 2nd June and Saturday 23rd June. Contact Bob for details

Dates for phase 3- 29th August until 2nd Sept. Contact Bob fr details

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Sunday August 19th at Harlington 1.30pm onwards. Members only.

This event has now been fixed. Toby will talk about his undergraduate research project  on Social Interaction by bats at Finemere Wood. This is a longer version of the talk he is giving at the National Bat Conference in September

Given the dismal weather ths summer, we have a plan B which willi nvolve eating inside

The photoshop creation was what greeted me when I googled ” bat barbeque.” How could I resist using it?

NB no bats will be harmed at our event.

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In the pipeline

Friday 6th July – Chauffeured Punting on the Cam with Jonathan Durwardd to look at bats.  Contact Jude and Jonathan to reserve a place. This will cost £15 a head ( 50% of his goes to the Wildlife Trust) Postponed. We may be able to rearrange this if the weather improves

http://www.scudamores.com/punting/combined/bat.php

 

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Been and gone

January

An introduction to Bats: Bob Cornes Thursday January 19^th, 7.30 pm at St Mary’s Stable, Haynes Church End (TL081411)

This illustrated talk is aimed at people who want to get a grounding in bats. If you are a new member of the group this will be a good way to get to know about our local bats. It will also serve as a session for those of you who are training for (or thinking of training for) your Roost Visitors’ or Survey & Monitoring Licence.

Open to non members

February

“The National Bat Monitoring Programme”   Philip  Briggs, Bat Conservation Trust
15^th February, 7.30pm at  St Mary’s Stable, Haynes Church End (TL081411)

A number of Bat Group members are involved in different aspects of the National Bat Monitoring Programme .Non bat group members are also involved

The National Bat Monitoring Programme track changes in bat populations.  Monitoring bats is essential as over the last 60 years it would seem that many of our bat species have declined dramatically.

Since 1996 more than 3,000 volunteers have taken part in surveys at over 5,800 roost or field sites around the UK. The data collected have already indicated population changes in some species but surveying needs to continue for many more years in order to ascertain whether these are long-term trends or simply short-term fluctuations.

This is your chance to see what happens to the information people collect and its importance , and maybe it will encourage even more of you to take part this year. Open to non members

Monday 29^th February. Ampthill Baptist Church 7.30pm Committee meeting

Any member of the bat group is welcome to attend . Non committee members need to let us know they are coming.

Members only

April 13th

Annual General Meeting

Speaker Antony Mould  Bats in Australia and the Philippines Friday 13th April, 7.30pm at the Mission Hall, Haynes (TL099419)
This will take the usual format. A very quick session dealing with the business part of the meeting , a  pause for refreshments and the selling of raffle tickets (donations for the raffle will be most gratefully received as will help with refreshments) and then onto the main event.

Those of you involved in working with Natural England will know Antony was, until the latest reshuffling of jobs, he was the man to go to if there were queries over bat calls. Antony is a long standing member of the Cambridgeshire Bat Group and is one of their most experienced bat carers. In 2011 he took a sixth month sabbatical to travel south. Prepare to be jealous -very jealous.

Open to members and their guests.

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Eastern Region Bat Conference organised by the Bat Conservation Trust  14 April 2012 Ickworth House

This is the second Eastern Region conference and  if it is as good as the last one  it will e well worth attending. We are waiting for details to be announced and you will need to book direct with the Bat Conservation Trust.

 

Sunday 22nd April 2012

Sonogram analysis course. 10.30-1pm

Change of Venue – now being held at Randalls Farm. Participants have been informed. Contact Bob if you need directions

Bob will be using Audacity, a newish open source free  piece of software. Aidan will give some input on using Anabat
If interested please contact Bob You will need to bring a laptop with you. Participants will be given handouts and a reference disc of bat calls to help them in the future. Bob is an experienced sonogram analyser and has helped with sonogram workshops at the Nation Bat Conference on several occasions. Members only

See the blog entry

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Visit to John Adams’ common pipistrelle ro0st   23rd May 2012 . Members only.

Our annual visit to John Adam’s common pipisrtelle roost. Members must book,  see April newsletter for details

This is primarily a visit for  members of the Bat Group training for licences, but other members were welcome to come along, watch the bats emerging from the house, avoiding the carefully placed hand nets, and eating cake.You should have a chance to see bats in the hand. Last year we captured a male lurking in the roost with evil intent.
Read more about the gent on the left. 2011-6-pipistrelle roost.
Read more about the roost  2009Adams roost

See the blog entry