I'm Going Batty

I think I maybe losing it!

Ladylove.

I have bitten the bullet and put my beloved up for sale. After being infatuated with her for a number of years, I had finally realised the time had come to move on. Described as being in reasonably good order for her age, considering that she has been round the block a few times. Scrubs up well and is quite frugal when it comes to the liquid stuff.

No not the memsahib, do keep up! My 1300cc Pan European motorcycle has been advertised on MCN (Motorcycle News) But I still have four other bikes to play with.

Yes, OK, I admit it, I've gone batty.

BCT (Bat Conservation Trust) is the only national organisation solely devoted to the conservation of bats and their habitats in the UK. Monitoring bats is essential as over the last 60 years it would seem that many of our bat species have declined dramatically. British Waterways recently launched this year’s Wildlife survey with bats as their target species.

Did you know that the Bat Conservation Trust are trying to map sightings of bats. The project is called the "Big Bat Map" and it can be found here. Click Link I like bats I have one of those ultrasonic bat detectors which is good for identifying the different kinds of bats as the frequency range is specific for each kind.

Information is available about the 2009  Urban Bat Survey Project, you can read the survey report here. Click Link 

Bat Detectors.

The sounds that you get on a bat detector depend considerably on the type of detector you are using. If you are considering the purchase of a bat detector. Colin Catto, former Director of the National Bat Monitoring Programme, has written a down loadable and detailed paper on which mini bat detector is appropriate for different purposes.

There is a down loadable Bat Detector Information Pack, which gives a summary of bat detectors, a list of those currently available on the market, their design features and approximate cost.

Detectors are available to buy at the Bat Bazaar website.

There is also a Bat Conservation Trust Blog available. Click Link.

What would be good is if interested boaters who see bats can make a note of what they observe. then create a login and add them to the map. You don't have to identify the type of bat you have observed if you are unsure.

Location - a post code or a location name will do.

Time of day - Dusk, Evening, Night and Morning.

Numbers seen - Single, 2 to 5 etc.

Behaviour - What they were doing, circling, passing through etc.

Notes - Any additional notes you care to add.

An Identification Chart by the Mammal Society can be found on eBay for less than £4.

An 8-panel laminated fold-out chart includes all 16 species of bats that live and breed in Britain. Produced in partnership with The Mammal Society, it has two parts; a guide to bat identification using flight patterns; and a key for bat identification in the hand.

This chart is part of the FSC's range of fold-out charts, designed to help users identify of a wide range of plants and animals. Each chart is laminated to make it shower-proof and robust for use outdoors. Clear colour illustrations and text by experts in the subject make these a valuable resources for.



Later .....