NBMP Level 2 Workshop: Using Your Ears (Ashton Keynes, Wiltshire)

Are you looking to develop your bat identification skills? Are you interested in understanding bat sounds?

In this workshop you will be equipped with species identification skills using a heterodyne bat detector in the field. The focus is on pipistrelles, noctule, serotine and Daubenton's bat as these illustrate a range of different bat sounds. The workshop will cover heterodyne detectors, training your "sonic memory", and breaking bat sounds down into four elements: repetition rate, rhythm, tonal quality, and pitch. You will learn how and why these elements vary between different species, and how to find the "peak frequency" using a heterodyne detector.

The training will include an overview of the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) and will enable you to take part in the NBMP Field Survey. This workshop is the perfect next step for those who have attended the NBMP Beginner Level "Discover Your Local Bats" and NBMP Level 1 workshops.

This workshop will be led by Richard Dodd, and will involve an evening classroom session followed by a practical field session starting around dusk. The workshop will finish no later than 10:30PM, but attendees can leave earlier if needed. Free parking, disabled access, and toilets are all available at the venue.

At the Bat Conservation Trust we want everyone to have opportunities to connect with bats and nature and get involved with conservation. We recognise that people of colour and racially or ethnically minoritised groups are particularly underrepresented in the conservation sector. If this is relevant for you, please select the concession for underrepresented groups when booking. Concessions are also available for BCT and bat group members, existing NBMP volunteers, students, and those who are unwaged.

When booking on there is the option to buy BCT’s “Identifying Bats in Flight” booklet (28 pages), which is a useful reference for beginners. The booklet provides an introduction to different types of bat detectors, and an overview of field and call characteristics of UK bat species. If purchased, the booklet will be sent to you by post. Concessions are also available for booklet purchases.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at nbmp@bats.org.uk.

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