Tamsin Harper gives us an inside glimpse at the moonlit world of ecological consultancy. In her first instalment of ‘The secret life of an ecologist’ she offers us the chance to follow her on sunrise surveys to beautiful locations whilst unmasking the mystery of bats.

Stone statues watch us through the dark graveyard buried within this undisclosed village. Draped in warm clothes, clutching our tea we wait in anticipation. Occasional hollow alien calls sing out with a ‘CHIP CHOP CHIP’ through the detectors we hold in frozen fingers. Then, sunrise sets the horizon on fire and dowses the old crumbling church in a warm glow. Now we can see them, their ghostly figures swoop and flutter in urgency. More are joining the aerial display, a dance that says ‘sunrise is here and we return home to roost’. This is the social swarming of bats.

In ‘the secret life of an ecologist’ article series, I will share my experiences as an ecological consultant, what we do, why we do it, and all of the perks that come with the job. In this, the first instalment in the series, I will tackle the spooky topic of Bats and why we follow them through the dark.

Apart from the obvious urge we all desperately have to stand in cold creepy graveyards at the witching hour, why do we (ecologists) linger in dark rural areas? BATS!

As ecological consultants, it is our role to ensure that the wildlife in our given country is safeguarded and that protective orders that shield more exceptional species are adhered to. When land is bought and development plans are made, ecologists must survey the land and assess the site’s potential for wildlife.

So, what are bats and why do we spend so much time looking for them?

Bats are small winged mammals that most people associate with vampires and caves, but really bats can be found a little closer to home, your roof space will do.

There are thirteen species of bats in the UK all of which are protected under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act, the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2012 schedule 2, Annex II of the Habitat Directive and a few very special species are also Biodiversity Action Plan species or BAPs. This protection means that it is an offence in the UK to deliberately disturb or obscure access to a bat’s home (called a roost), not to mention the capture, injury or killing of a bat. The UK is one of the most protective countries when it comes to our bats, so much so that we have our very own Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), dedicated to the protection of these winged furballs. But why are bats in such need of protection?

Why protect bats? The BCT explains that UK bat populations have declined considerably over the last century due to threats of roost and habitat loss caused by development. Those real-estate savvy individuals that escape the bulldoze happy humans must then survive a menagerie of booby traps in the form of cat attacks, wind turbines and the chemical treatments of building materials in which they roost.

As for why should we care if bats are protected, we need only consider the poor unsuspecting insects on which they indulge. Bats act as a natural pest control for farmed crops, but that is not all. Their feeding habits reduce midge and mosquito populations, a service that is becoming increasingly more appreciated as disease-carrying mozzies move closer with warming climates. And let us not forget the excitement, fear and mystery they provide so many people, when we catch a glimpse of their ghostly silhouettes passing under street lamps.

Although bats can be found in almost any habitat, we can’t protect against development everywhere, instead we assess which areas are important for our fluffy friends.

Before development takes place on any site ecologists are called in to determine how vital the area is to nearby bat populations.

First, we visit in daylight to examine on-site buildings. We keep an eye out for half-eaten insects on the floor suggesting bats feed inside and we assess the number of holes and access points to the building. However, the excitement comes when sleeping bats are spotted twitching and dozing within.

Fun Fact: most people are surprised to hear that the average UK bat can fit through a hole no bigger than the top of your thumb. There could be a bat in your house.

If the site is deemed potentially important to bats, either signs of their presence have been spotted or the site is suitable for them, we proceed to activity surveys. These are carried out to investigate how bats may be using the site, are they passing? Or do they rely on the site for food and lodgings? Of all the tasks ecologists carry out the bat activity surveys are by far the most mysterious, most magical and most likely to plunge you into thermal shock.

These surveys take place at sunrise and sunset and involve a team of people, ecologists, sub-contractors or bat monitoring volunteers sitting with bat detectors and a cup of tea, staring at a building and anticipating the appearance of our favourite flying fuzz balls. On dusk surveys scarfs, hats and gloves are applied as the temperature steadily decreases, but still we watch.

Often you hear bats before you see them. Bat detectors allow us to hear the high-frequency calls they use to navigate the landscape, a collection of haunting but silly sounds.

Although we are sometimes surprised by the presence of bats in brightly lit urban sites, we look forward to those rural locations more. These are almost always the setting of great aerial bat displays but they also offer other rewarding visits. The occasional clearly blind or unimpressed badger passing at arm’s reach never fails to distract me from the task at hand. Foxes, rabbits and other rustles in bushes are just one incredible perk that bat surveying offers.

For those nosier readers, you may rouse to hear of the beautiful private homes with long winding driveways, private tennis courts and beautiful gardens. These are always a great setting for a hot brew in the dark but always to be kept secret. From gated old gothic manor houses to gorgeous modern hotels, we’ve seen it all, but the best views are always those at the top of the landscape where the sunset and sunrises cast long shadows across the land for miles.

All I can say is that the close encounters paired with the joy of hearing those mysterious calls not meant for humans’ ears, far out weight the early mornings and late nights. Just remember to stick a hot water bottle under your jumper before you begin.

If you are interested in carrying out your own bat survey:

Why not get your hands on a bat detector or bat detector app and stand in your garden an hour before sunset?
Try walking a hedgerow, as certain species use these structures to navigate from roosts to feeding sites.
Join the bat conservation trust, attend their bat walks, training sessions or help monitor bats in your area as a part of their monitoring programme.
Join us ecologists and get paid to enjoy wildlife.

more can be learnt at the Bat Conservation Trust’s (BCT) website, along with audio recordings of their ghostly calls (called echolocation) and photographs.

In the next instalment of ‘The secret life of an ecologist’, I will share the wonders of the hidden undergrowth where reptile and amphibians call home.

The Secret Life of an Ecologist: Bat Surveying

Tamsin Harper gives us an inside glimpse at the moonlit world of ecological consultancy. In her first instalment of ‘The secret life of an ecologist’ she offers us the chance to follow her on sunrise surveys to beautiful locations whilst unmasking the mystery of bats.