Bat Group Talk - Kerb Crawling for Bats, Worcestershire Bat Group’s Adventures with iBats. A talk by Mike Glyde

In 2013 Worcestershire Bat Group became a member of the Bat Conservation Trust’s iBats programme which involves surveying as many of the roads in Worcestershire as possible using bat detectors attached to moving cars travelling at 15mph. A GPS is used to georeference the calls. Mike will present the results of the project which has been hugely successful and to date has covered more than 1000km of roads in the county and generated over 2262 bat records

About Mike: Mike Glyde is the current Chair and active member of the Worcestershire Bat Group. He worked as a Historic Environment Planning Officer for Worcestershire County Council before joining Amec as a consultant

When: Monday 12th October at 7:30pm

Where: Community Room, The Kenilworth Centre, Abbey End Car Park, Kenilworth CV8 1QJ
Note that this is a new venue for us.
As it's a new venue, here are some detailed directions:
If you're driving North through Kenilworth town centre: When you get to the clock tower roundabout take the second exit (straight on) and then, with the Holiday Inn on your left, turn right down the side of the Almanack pub. Follow the road round to the right and the Kenilworth Centre is on your left. There is a high mesh fence at the front.
On foot, with the clock tower at your back, walk through the gap in the shops by Lil Greens and the Kenilworth Centre will be in front of you.

Everyone Welcome

£3 for Warwickshire Bat Group members or £4 for non members

Friends of Abbey Fields bat walk

The annual bat walk and talk took place on Wednesday evening, July 8th. The weather was fine though not as warm as in the previous week.

The talk was given by Dr Jon Russ, a local bat expert and professional ecologist. Three of his colleagues from the Warwickshire Bat Group, Tricia, John and Julia, joined him to help people spot the bats on the walk, which was fortunate because a group of 35 people gathered in the corner of Abbey Fields car park at 9:15 pm to hear what Jon had to say.

Jon gave a short and informative talk about bats in general and those species to be found in Warwickshire. He also explained some of the reasons why their numbers have declined in previous decades, although the decline is being halted and may even be reversing for some species, thanks to the efforts of volunteer bat groups and the Bat Conservation Trust.

Jon gives an introductory talk in the car park

Jon and Tricia showed the assembled people two pipistrelle bats which are currently in the care of a local bat carer, having been found unable to fly. Although one was feeling well enough to eat one of the mealworms which Jon had brought along to show what is fed to bats in care. The normal food of wild bats is flying insects - so every time we heard a bat catch an insect, that was one less to bite us as we walked around!

After seeing the bats in the hand, we walked over among the trees by the old Abbey barn and gatehouse, where a number of the Bat Group's bat detectors were shared out, so that people could hear as well as see the bats hunting insects over our heads. These were Britain's smallest bats: common and soprano pipistrelles.

watching soprano and common pipistrelles feeding next to the Abbey Gatehouse

We then walked over to the lake in the hope of seeing Daubenton's bats but unfortunately there was a bit of a cool breeze and the Daubenton's didn't seem to have come out to hunt over the water, although we continued to hear pipistrelles there and as we walked around by the back of the swimming pool. We also saw and heard noctules, Britain's largest bat.

Looking for Daubenton's over the lake

Jon had been hoping to hear the rare Nathusius' pipistrelle by the lake, since some other members of the bat group had heard one earlier that week, but they didn't appear on this occasion.

Nathusius' bats were proving to be elusive but the pipistrelles still put on a fine show 

Bat Group car survey training

We're running a car survey training session on Saturday 16th May starting at 7:45pm at the Green Man, 68 Warwick Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1HS.

(http://www.emberinns.co.uk/the-green-man-kenilworth/)

We’re going to run through the equipment and methodology for about an hour and then cram ourselves into 1 or 2 cars to have a go at actually surveying for about another hour – so we should finish at around 9:30 - 10pm.

Checking bat boxes at WWT reserves

We've been checking the bat boxes at some of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust's reserves with Kate Sharma. Kate holds an appropriate licence from Natural England to be able to handle bats, and is kindly giving other bat group members the chance to see bats close up.

Kate checking bat boxes

Measuring the forearm

A male Leisler's that was almost too heavy for us to weigh!

Bats & Science: Projects & Research at BCT - a talk by Lisa Worledge

This talk is about the various research projects that the Bat Conservation Trust is involved with. It will put current research in the context of BCT’s overall objectives and of four key research themes:

1. improving assessment of species status; 
2. understanding and mitigating the impact of humans; 
3. habitat and landscape management;  
4. the role of bats in ecosystems. 

For each of these themes we’ll consider some of the current projects underway as well as some of the things we’d like to do in the future.

Lisa started at BCT in May 2011 as Partnerships Officer, liaising between BCT and bat groups. Her interest in bats was first sparked by a bat walk with the Birmingham and Black Country Bat Group in 2008, she was so hooked she joined the committee later that same year.

When: 7.30 p.m. Wednesday, 25th March

Where: The Barn, Brandon Marsh (Warwickshire Wildlife Trust HQ)

Everyone Welcome

£3 for Warwickshire Bat Group members or £4 for non members

Annual General Meeting followed by A Talk on Caring for Bats – roost visits, batty churches and grounded bats by Penny Angold

A light-hearted look at the origins a

nd purpose of bat groups, exploring experiences in voluntary bat care such as roost visits, bat rescue and the rewards and challenges involved.

Penny has many years’ experience as an ecological consultant.

Preceded by a short AGM. 

When: 

Tuesday, 24 February 2015 19:30 - 21:30

Where: 

Committee Room Brandon Marsh (in main building of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust HQ)

Everyone Welcome!

£3 for Warwickshire Bat Group members or £4 for non members

Waterways' bats & their conservation - a talk by Paul Wilkinson

Paul will be speaking about his recent research project on woodland ponds and their importance to the conservation status of bats. He will be comparing urban, suburban and rural canals with lots of areas for potential research to take forward.
He will also introduce some roosts in bridges that members of Warwickshire Bat Group will be able to participate in monitoring. 

Paul has been with the Canal & River Trust for 12 years and in that time has been able to study many canals, tunnels and buildings with some interesting insights into how they all differ. He says of himself: "I was born an ecologist with an interest in everything and have always had a fascination for water and the wildlife that is attracted to it."

When: 7.30 p.m. Wednesday 29th January 

Where: The Barn, Brandon Marsh (Warwickshire Wildlife Trust HQ)

£3 for Warwickshire Bat Group members or £4 for non members

Includes tea/coffee & biscuits.