Its a whole different world... (1 Viewer)

[Scott67]

Once the Sun go's down,

The reason I say this is I have just bought myself a Bat Detector and jolly good fun it is too,
As a keen birdwatcher I'm often out till dusk, just as many bats take to the sky, and having seen Bat detectors being used on many factual T.V. documentaries I thought I'd look at the feasibility of buying one.

Firstly they are a lot cheaper than you think, I chose a model from Magenta Electronics ( Model Bat IIa) which you can buy either in kit form or ready assembled, I chose the ready assembled version for approx £45.00.

Controls are really easy and the mic picks up really well, I'm no expert on how these things work, its all heterodyne this and input that, but I'm impressed, I've already located Pipistrelles in my garden (45 khz !!!) and the bats sounds relayed by the detector are amazing.

Apparantly you can literally pay thousands for bat detectors so starting at the low end seems best.

Why not try it?, All you need is a list of KHZ frequencies for British Bats and away you go.

Incidentally this months BBC wildlife magazine has a small review section on Bat Detectors and luckily I seem to have made the right choice with mine.

Hopefully I can start to locate other species now !!

Regards
Scott

 

[CJW]

Hi Scott,
my wife also does a bit of bat detecting, but she gets confused with the bewildering array if frequency ranges and squeeks/whistles/peeps/farts that bats make - it's an absolute minefield!
I know she's so far had 4 species over the garden (Whiskered, Pip', Brown Long-eared and Leisler's) and we often get very good views of them as they swoop down over my moth traps (the little buggers!). They're certainly very entertaining to watch.

 

[helenol]

Hi Scott

sounds like a great idea, we have a bat that regularly flies around our garden every night, I've often wondered where it "lives".

Going out in the garden at night is one of my favourite things to do, we have a barn owl that is frequently spotted, plus a hedgehog that finishes off any leftover raisons the blackbirds haven't eaten.

You hit the nail on the head it is a "whole new world".

Regards
Helen

 

[KC Foggin]

I didn't even know something like this existed. So each bat has a different frequency in the sounds it utters? And is this how you tell them apart? Forgive my ignorance.

 

[Scott67]

Ah Frequencies, now you have me at a disadvantage, I have'nt a clue which is which, but I do know that different species echo-locate at various frequencies from about 25Khz right up to 130+ khz.
As I am definately not an expert I assume that if you twiddle the detector to say 100 Khz and get a response then there are only a few species it can be.

I happened to know that Pipistrelles echo locate at between 45 and 55 khz and that they seem to be the most common around gardens.

If you do a web search on local bat groups they generally tell you what species to expect at each frequency, you may want to join them too as they often have detecting nights, when I assume all would become clear so to speak.

 

[CJW]

Hi KC, yes, each species emits a variety of noises, some of them within a species specific frequency range (i.e. Pipistrelle is about 40-55khz). These noises vary depending on what the bat is doing - if it's just 'patrolling' the noises are further apart but as it homes-in on a prey item (e.g. my moths!) the squeeks get faster and faster. Unfortunately there is quite a bit of overlap in the frequency ranges and the phonetic descriptions of the 'calls' are open to interpretation (one man's squeek is another man's fart!!!).......but you can get CDs with most of the calls on there (certainly for British bats).

 

[Michael Frankis]

I've been on one or two bat trips - the detectors are great, but some things I remember about them:
1. They cost a fortune
2. They eat a set of 4 large batteries in about 3 minutes. You need to carry about six sets of rechargeables to last an evening.
3. Bat ID still remains a bit of guesswork - e.g. telling Whiskered and Natterer's apart wasn't feasible, according to the leader.

Michael

 

[Charles Harper]

Natterer's Bat? Sounds like we're back in an old thread...

 

[CJW]

telling Whiskered and Natterer's apart wasn't feasible, according to the leader.

Michael

Ofcourse it's feasible, but not by just using a bat detector - they really need to be seen at close range (i.e. in the hand or at least close enough to view the tragus). But this would mean, ofcourse, that you need to be licensed.

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi CJ,

I was referring to ID by detector!

Michael

 

[CJW]

Oh I see. You'll have to be careful Michael - I got castigated yesterday for not making my postings accurate enough!
Anyway we digress.
There are actually very few species that can be positively identified by the use of a detector alone - habitat choice is also a good indicator as is the size of the bat in question.

 

[Charles Harper]

Anybody have a world bat book? Might I have more than one species of small chiropteran fluttering around in the streetlights of the Yokohama suburbs here?

 

[PhilW]

Hi all. Like Scott I bought a bat detector earlier this year from Magenta. We have up to 6 pipistrelles around our house and its great being able to 'listen' to them hunting. You can here the note from the detector change as they home in on a moth and then a little squeak from the box as they are successful. There's nothing better on these warm evenings than sitting on the patio with a cold beer and the detector on the table. Even neighbours come around to listen. As a result our local garden centre has had a rush on bat boxes.

I'm trying to figure out where they roost as we live on a new housing estate. However there is a pond within 10 metres of our house with a mature oak tree so they could be in there.

I think the Bat Conservation Trust have a series of 'sounds' generated by Bat Detectors which you can listen to on their website.

So far I haven't been able to track down any other species except Pips. Thats probably because I haven't got further than the cold beer on the patio. (Green King Abbot in a bottle for those who like to know these things!)

Seriously though. the amount of interest it generates must be good for wildlife in general. For those who want a guaranteed bat experience try the walk through bat house in Chester Zoo.

 

[mjcoon]

Although bats species are difficult to distinguish using a detector, it has recently been discovered that there are two species of pipistrelle which use (I think) 45kHz and 55kHz respectively. This hadn't been realised before.

It raises all sorts of questions about speciation and how come interbreeding hasn't hybridised out the genes...

Mike.

 

[mjcoon]

A few years ago I went out with clipboard and report form to survey for glow-worms (a beetle larva). I was especially to note if they were mating, but only caught one pair in flagrante delicto.

I took my bat detector with me. While I don't remember if I detected any bats (probably) I do remember that there was some supersonic sounds picked up by the detector that were coming from a bush by the path. I never did find out what created them but probably some sort of cricket.

Now what I want is a stereo bat detector that allows me to sense the direction from which the sound comes...

Mike.

 

[Gill Osborne]

Bats are FAB!!!! Just can't get enough of them!!! I haven't got a bat detector yet but the one for £45 sounds ok to start with...we have a friend who has his own electronic repair shop and Neil, my husband, has said that he'll make one for me...the friend, not the husband!
Sitting on the patio with a beer sounds divine....but considering that I get tipsy on just two halves, I think I'd better stick to coke!!! I'll start imagining all sorts of things flying over otherwise!!!
mjcoon, you're right about the Pipistrelles recently being split into two separate species...the 'normal' pip is the 45kHz and the 55kHz is known as the Soprano pipistrelle.