Bat surveying

[HBW]

Anyone do bat surveying here? I'm looking to gain a bat surveying license in due time from the BCT; was just wondering if anyone here does a bit of it on the side?

[Yve_Clark]

I'm certain that ChrisG does a bit of bat surveying - try PMing him

[HBW]

Cheers for that sent him a PM, think he lives about a stones throw away as well which is nice eh

[caledonian bob]

I've done quite a bit of bat survey work, working with a licenced bat handler. Don't have the licence myself but i've lots of experience, good fun & interesting.

[TreeTomass]

This has always appealed to me, think it would be fun.

[Yve_Clark]

Interesting stuff on Autumnwatch re bats..........

 

BBC iPlayer - Autumnwatch: 2009: Episode 5

[Mark Cattell]

Also done some surveying following the Lantra course..

Only gives you enough information to say there is a high to low chance of bats present.

If there is then a licenced bat handler is required.

If you not intending to handle or disturb the bats roots or adjacent trees/structures then you don't require a licence to survey a tree for the potential for bats or fell trees that you deem have a very low or no significance for bats.

[ChrisG]

Did a job earlier this year where a client was very reluctant to have surveys re-done (previous survey was done a long time ago) on some trees that somebody else had deemed to be low potential, but I highlighted them being an important linking corridor between suitable foraging habitats for bats. After a lot of heated discusions with several different parties, the surveys had to go ahead to please planners. The surveys I did showed that three different bat species used these trees/hedges for commuting from roosts to other suitable habitats. In the end it saved the client a lot of money, time and a possible court apperance/conviction if the trees/hedge had just been grubbed out, suitable mitigation was put in place, Natural England were pleased, the project went ahead and everyone was happy. I am saying this just to highlight that it is not just bats and tree roosts that are protected, it is also the habitats and commuting routes that they use.