Created 2006
Updated Feb 2019
NB. Surveys are for people with some bat field experience and for insurance reasons are for members of Bedfordshire Bat Group only.
Woodland surveys is the name we have given to surveys which are not carried out on a regular basis. They begin as one off forays into an area – not necessarily woodland- where we carry out bat detector surveys and make sound recordings . If we find interesting things we return to investigate further using mist netting and radiotagging where appropriate, (carried out by members who have the necessary Natural England Licences).
We often work with other local Bat e.g. Cambridgeshire, Herts and Middlesex North Bucks
This brown long eared bat was photographed urinating on his captor. Photo Bob Cornes
In recent years we have visited between 10 and 20 such sites a season,having obtained the necessary permissions with land owners
- found the first live Brandt’s bat in the county
carried out a five year study of bat distribution at Whipsnade zoo 2009 whipsnade final BNHS report - radio tracked barbastelles and identified 3 separate colonies2005 Barbastelle Radiotracking (BNHS)
- found two serotine roosts
- located a number of new roosts
- radiotracked a female serotine for 10 days
- found two swarming sites
- taken part in he National Nathusius Survey
Sites visited recently include
Ampthill Park
Bedford Park & cemetery
Begwary Brook
Carthagena Golf Course, Potton
Felmersham Gravel Pits
Flitwick Moor
King’s Wood
Haynes Church End
Haynes West End
Maulden Wood
Millbrook Warrren (Centre Park)
Old Church Path, Clophill
Pegnut Wood
Sharnrook Summit
Wardown Park
Whipsnade Tree Cathedral
Woburn Safari Park