Bat Sunset / Sunrise Survey

The Bat Conservation Trust is holding its annual survey of bats, and members of the public are invited to take part. Below is an edited extract from their website.

There are two parts to this survey. You can take part in either survey or both, but the more help you can give, the more chance you have of finding bats!

The Sunset Survey couldn't be easier! Simply spend the evening in your garden and watch out for any bats that fly past. Record how many bats you see, which species they are (if you think you know) and, most importantly, which direction they are flying from.

The Sunrise Survey involves going out just before dawn to look for bats swarming before they return to their roost. If you have already done the Sunset Survey and saw bats flying past, you should walk in the direction from which most of them seemed to be coming.

This survey is aimed at beginners and is an excellent way of contributing to the monitoring programme if you don't have any previous experience of bat surveying.

This survey takes place annually and this year you can take part anytime throughout June, July and August. For more information, and to download the survey form and instructions please click here.