Bat Training

[Big Jim]

At the last DCA Underground Conservation Forum meeting a couple of weeks ago, I agreed (was pressured into) to sort out some basic Bat training for cavers in the Derbyshire/Peak District area. This is a continuation of work that has been going on with members of Derbyshire Bat Conservation Group, the DCA via Dave Webb and some caving club members over the last few years.

The training wont be anything too in depth - just an evening or possibly weekend day trip to some underground sites to look for bats in hibernation and do some quick species identification, ecology and related legislation, which will hopefully raise awareness and interest in bats.

Leading the training will be myself and Jess Eades, both licenced bat workers and cavers, and possible another DBCG member who isn't scared of the dark. It is more than likely that the trips will be in fairly easy caves or mines that won't require SRT skills.

If anyone is interested, send me a PM so that I can get some idea of numbers and plan a few dates in over the next few months.

Jim
Vice Chair
Derbyshire Bat Conservation Group

 

[Katie]

PM sent Jim,
But there are 4 of us from SUSS who are definately keen
Maybe a zoology degree has its uses!

 

[Big Jim]

Brillaint Katie, with you lot and the others who have responded, thats 2 sessions filled already.  Will sort dates out soon with my fellow bat workers and get back to you soon.
Jim

 

[toni]

I may be interested, more so if cake is involved 

 

[Big Jim]

Cant promise cake, just plenty of tasty bat droppings :yucky:

 

[cavinghippy]

Ey up Wife ! You never mentioned this on our trip down Merry Tom on Tuesday. I'd be interested and I guess Lindy Loo would be too !
Ex Caving Wife
x

 

[Big Jim]

You dont need it you clown  - you get plenty of private bat lessons when we go caving. If you cant tell your daubies from yer natterers by now, I may as well teach monkeys. :tease:

Ex wife

 

[GITs]

I'd definately be interested in coming along

Martyn - Reading Uni

 

[j4nny]

me to!

 

[Lampwick]

Slim,

re. cavinghippy's reply, I guess this counts me out as well. Still don't know bat sh*t from batman, and talk about love triangles, hippy's new "real" wife is actually the person on my account photo.

M.
xxx
(your ex mistress)

 

[Big Jim]

Mart, Ive shown you loads of bat shi* over the last few years.  Looks like Im going to have to sort out an AT training session seperately from the rest.  How come you n exwife dont know owt and yet Slatch Snr n NAS are on the ball - they do know their daubies from their whiskereds!

Ex-mistress

 

[pisshead]

Just a quick reply to thoroughly recommend the bat training - though we didn't manage to train them to do very much
There was much playing about in snow too - an added bonus but not guaranteed!

 

[ttxela]

Just a quick reply to thoroughly recommend the bat training - though we didn't manage to train them to do very much
There was much playing about in snow too - an added bonus but not guaranteed!

Has it happened then, did I miss it?  :doubt:

 

[Big Jim]

Just a quick reply to thoroughly recommend the bat training - though we didn't manage to train them to do very much
There was much playing about in snow too - an added bonus but not guaranteed!

Has it happened then, did I miss it?  :doubt:

Dont worry Alex.  I did the first session last week with the SUSS girls as Katie was the first to respond and get her mates booked in.  We are only taking small groups of 4 or 5 at a time to minimise disturbance.  We are planning to do the next session in Jan after all this xmas nonsense (bah humbug ) is out the way.  As soon as I have some provisional dates I will email everyone else on my list.  Hopefully the next session will be a weekend daytime session.  Chances are we will also have to do another evening session probably later in Jan.

Jim

 

[Big Jim]

Just a quick reply to thoroughly recommend the bat training - though we didn't manage to train them to do very much
There was much playing about in snow too - an added bonus but not guaranteed!

Cheers for the plug Jen, I'm glad you enjoyed it and hopefully found it useful.  Hopefully the next session will have more bats and more snow. 

Jim

 

[ronaldjprice]

Hi Jim,
Off subject I know but still to do with bats ......I have some steel galvanised floorgrid with 3cm x 3cm square holes in would this be big enough for bats to get through if it were used at some stage as a shaft lid?

Thanks
Ron

 

[Big Jim]

Ron, mesh of that size isnt really suitable as bats prefer to fly direct into the cave rather have to land and crawl around a mesh.  The best thing to do would be to get yourself a copy of the new Shaft Capping Guidelines which you should be able to get from the DCA or speak to Mike Wright at Derbyshire County Council - 01629 580000 (main switchboard at Matlock County Hall).  The starting point really though would be to assess the sites suitabilty for bats - no point spending a lot of money of bat friendly grill if the cave/mine isnt suitable or has only low roost potential. Im always happy to have a look at sites and advise.

If you have trouble getting the guidelines, let me know and Ill see if I can get copy from another source

Jim

 

[JB]

...bats prefer to fly direct into the cave rather have to land and crawl around a mesh.

How do you know that then?

 

[Big Jim]

...bats prefer to fly direct into the cave rather have to land and crawl around a mesh.

How do you know that then?

I just do Jules.  Studies (i think by John Altringhams lot) have been done and bats tend to turn away from grills with too narrow gaps.  There are occasions when some bats, more likely myotis family, will negotiate there way around a grill, but plecotus (long eared) and rhinolophus (horse shoe) almost always fly direct into a roost site, the latter particularly so as their bodies are not dorso-ventrally flattened, ie their bodies are cylindrical and so they dont crawl well.

Happy now?  Got to dash, Indian has arrived....

 

[ronaldjprice]

Thanks Jim will keep you posted.
Ron