July updates

Hi all,

How is everyone getting on with your bat detectors and bat surveying?

I'm sure everyone is glad to see a bit of rain although it's not great for bat surveying. I'm going to be optimistic and am planning on doing my next Batlas 2020 survey next Friday evening (20th July). If you would like to join me on this survey around County Limerick, which is likely to take approximately 3 hours from 9.30 (possibly more) then let me know and I can set up a Whatsapp group to keep all updated on the plans. This will of course be weather dependant and there will only be room for 3 surveyors with myself.

In other exciting news and you might have seen this on the facebook page, but we have purchased a static detector for the group (see attached). Its called an Audiomoth. I'm after configuring this this evening and will give it a try. This is a low cost static detector and it does not come in a protective case. If you would like to give this a try in the future, you will need to be really careful with it but please let me know and we can work on a loan out basis. You will of course, have to learn how to identify bat calls and we can arrange a workshop on this at some stage in the future. Like identifying bats by the sound of their calls, it takes time and practice but is good fun to do.

Efforts are continuing to map areas of Limerick that are missing the Lesser Horseshoe Bat and will begin next week in Hospital in County Limerick. If you are interested in being involved in this project please let me know, I can provide more info on this as things change but with everyone working full jobs and lives, it will be a slow project. I'll be talking more about bats and how they use landscape features in a nature walk and talk for An Taisces Living Limerick in Hospital, County Limerick on Thursday the 19th of July.

Lastly, did anyone go home with a bat detector after our last meet up? We seem to be missing a few that may be in coat pockets or boots of cars. Please let me know.

Thanks everyone, I hope you all had a lovely weekend,

Tanya.