Small bat scoping survey - Mull - anyone?

[daltontrees]

I am looking for a potential roost features survey on half a dozen trees to be updated. It's on Mull. I did a climbing inspection last time to get a  closer look at a couple of features but this time it could possibly be done from the ground. If so, 10 minutes on site. Anyone in the area able to help soon? Doesn't need bat license or handling. Not looking for an ecologist to do 20 pages on it and camp out dawn and dusk. Just a pragmatic and proportionate rule-out.   

[Rushes]

I had an injured bat that I thought needed dispatching - rang these people to ask if and how I should do it:

403 Forbidden

WWW.BATS.ORG.UK

They had someone come round within 20 minutes, evaluate and dispatch [don't think it was legal for me to do it].  They were amazingly helpful. Worth a try.

[doobin]

1 hour ago, daltontrees said:

I am looking for a potential roost features survey on half a dozen trees to be updated. It's on Mull. I did a climbing inspection last time to get a  closer look at a couple of features but this time it could possibly be done from the ground. If so, 10 minutes on site. Anyone in the area able to help soon? Doesn't need bat license or handling. Not looking for an ecologist to do 20 pages on it and camp out dawn and dusk. Just a pragmatic and proportionate rule-out.   

Good luck. Bat surveys are a licent to print money.

[Muddy42]

Bat surveys make me so angry.  I commissioned a stage 1 bat survey once.  They couldn't find evidence of bats, BUT nor could they prove there weren't bats - answer stage 2 survey and more cost.  I gave up and let the building's roof fall down naturally.  What's the point of having a stage 1 survey if it leads to stage 2?

[doobin]

1 hour ago, Muddy42 said:

Bat surveys make me so angry.  I commissioned a stage 1 bat survey once.  They couldn't find evidence of bats, BUT nor could they prove there weren't bats - answer stage 2 survey and more cost.  I gave up and let the building's roof fall down naturally.  What's the point of having a stage 1 survey if it leads to stage 2?

So they can get double bubble by charging you for more people sitting in deckchairs. 
 

Who are also paying for the privilege of sitting in the deckchairs under the guise of ‘training’ so that they can join the gravy train. 

[daltontrees]

18 hours ago, Muddy42 said:

Bat surveys make me so angry.  I commissioned a stage 1 bat survey once.  They couldn't find evidence of bats, BUT nor could they prove there weren't bats - answer stage 2 survey and more cost.  I gave up and let the building's roof fall down naturally.  What's the point of having a stage 1 survey if it leads to stage 2?

Depends on definitions but Stage 1 is identifying habitat and potential roost features. Stage 2 is investigating whether they are or have been used.

[Muddy42]

10 minutes ago, daltontrees said:

Depends on definitions but Stage 1 is identifying habitat and potential roost features. Stage 2 is investigating whether they are or have been used.

 

Its still nonsense to me.  The Stage 1 report identified a roof (with gaps under the eves and missing slates) and attic space and said that theoretically this could be used by bats.  Nothing earth shattering here - Any roof build before about 1970 won't be particularly airtight.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is that in most other professions, there are situations where a stage 1 can be carried out (on a low cost or desktop basis) and there is no need for a stage 2.  For old roofs, it seemed like stage 2 will always be required.  It frustrated me that this wasn't made clear. 

 

The whole process needs a shake up and a cost reduction. Or use of CCTV or recording devices that don't require people to count bats manually all night.

 

[daltontrees]

10 minutes ago, Muddy42 said:

 

Its still nonsense to me.  The Stage 1 report identified a roof (with gaps under the eves and missing slates) and attic space and said that theoretically this could be used by bats.  Nothing earth shattering here - Any roof build before about 1970 won't be particularly airtight.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is that in most other professions, there are situations where a stage 1 can be carried out (on a low cost or desktop basis) and there is no need for a stage 2.  For old roofs, it seemed like stage 2 will always be required.  It frustrated me that this wasn't made clear. 

 

The whole process needs a shake up and a cost reduction. Or use of CCTV or recording devices that don't require people to count bats manually all night.

 

I don't see a problem with the system, but I perceive ecologists as doing well out of the mystery of it all and generally taking an unduly precautionary position. It's hard to challenge because they just fall back on scaremongering about legislation, their professional duty, their insurer's requirements and the Bat Conservation Trust guidance (which is thorough but not pragmatic).

[AHPP]

I have an uneasy relationship with planning consultants, ecologists etc. They help you fight the state rules but they wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the state rules. Some are quite happy the rules are there to give them something to do. Same as when I put that trailer towing instructor on here in his place years ago. He lobbied the government to keep rules tight so he could keep selling the cure.

Then you have the revolving door between poaching and gamekeeping. Planning consultants often boast they used to work for the local planning authority. They get their former colleagues to nod stuff through so when those colleagues come out for a stint in the private sector and they’ve gone back to government, they can repay the favour. Tax consultants do it too. And indeed consultants for any activity the state meddles in (so everything then). 
 

****************ing murder them all. 

Edited 4 hours ago by AHPP

[AHPP]

I went on a little freebie bat seminar at the APF a few years ago. 90% of the attendees walked off as it progressed. I stayed to the end, thinking, “He must be getting to something actually useful soon.”

Soon never came. Total waffle. Met a few bat twats since. None struck me as much different.