How to take part
Calling all bat enthusiasts living in the Perth area....
we need you to tell us where you see bats for the Perth City Bat Project (PCBP)!
There will be two levels of surveys available to participate in:
PCBP Simple Survey
This survey can be conducted in your garden, or even while you are walking the dog in the evening. It requires no prior training, just a keen eye!
For the simple survey, all we need you to is jot down a few key details. Bat Record Cards are available for you to download and log your bat sighting. If you don't have your record card handy, then try to note down the following:
- What you saw - a flying bat, dead bat, roosting bat, injured bat etc
- Where you saw the bat(s) - the best way is by giving us a 6 figure grid reference, or a postcode, but if you don't know these, the name of the street
- When you saw the bat, what date and what time
- What the area was like where you saw the bat - in a garden, near trees, near water etc.
How to send us your records
Bat Record Cards can be dropped into the special Bat Postbox at the AK Bell Library, or posted to the Perth and Kinross Council Offices:
Niall Lobley, Senior Ranger, Pullar House, 35 Kinnoull Street, Perth, PH1 5GD.
If you don't have a record card, email details of your sighting to the Countryside Rangers.
Please note: Never touch or handle a bat, alive or dead. If you find a dead or injured bat please contact the National Bat Helpline. Bats and their roosts are protected by law and should not be disturbed. If you suspect that you know of a roost in Perth, please contact the Bat Conservation Trust's Scottish Officer, Anne Youngman.
PCBP Bat Detector Survey
If you have approximately 10 hours to spare between May and September and would like to get a bit more involved in the survey, we are looking for volunteers that would like to learn how to use a bat detector to identify the species of bat that we have in Perth. Full training and support will be given.
Perth has been divided into 21 squares for survey. We would like to survey each square twice during the summer. Each square will have a 1km - 2km transect that will be walked with a bat detector. The bat detectors will record any bats, as well as the surveyor being able to hear any bats and hopefully identify the species of bat that is present.
How to take part
| 1. | You will first need to attend an introductory bat talk (find out dates). |
| 2. | You then need to attend a subsequent training evening, where you will be shown how to use a bat detector and undertake the survey. The first training session is scheduled for Wednesday 20th May, with a repeat session taking place a week after on Tuesday 26th May. Both talks run from 8pm - 9.30pm and take place in the Meeting Room at the AK Bell Library. A refresher session is also being run on Thursday 18th June between 8pm and 9.30pm if you need some extra help, or have been unable to make the earlier sessions. |
| 3. | You will need to undertake your first survey on one evening (preferably a warm, dry and still evening) between 21st May and 30th June, before completing a second survey of the same route between 15th July and 17th August. |
Feedback sesssions will held after both the first surveying period (Saturday 4th July) and the second surveying period (the evening of August 18th). Both sessions will take place at the AK Bell Library.
If you would like to take part in this survey, or have any questions, please email the Perth & Kinross Countryside Rangers.
Please note: Equipment will be loaned to all surveyors (who will be encouraged to work in pairs for the surveys) and should be returned after you have completed your survey. Equipment can be returned at the planned feedback sessions, or can be sent directly back to:
Niall Lobley, Perth and Kinross Council, Pullar House, 35 Kinnoull Street, Perth.
Tips for bat-spotting
Bats can be seen from sunset onwards, and prefer warmer, dry evenings, with little or no wind, but will venture out on any evening if they are hungry! The best time to see bats is from about 20 minutes after sunset until it gets dark. You are likely to see them when they are feeding on insects so are common in gardens, near trees and hedgerows, and near water. Bats can be mistaken for birds but the easiest way to tell the difference is that bats will often change direction in flight, unlike birds that tend to be flying in a set direction. Bats also emerge after birds have tended to settle down for the evening.
If you don't live in Perth but would like to find out more about how you can help BCT count bats, then why not consider taking part in the National Bat Monitoring Project.
