ISLES OF SCILLY BAT GROUP
Affiliated to: Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust and Bat Conservation Trust
Notes of Meeting on Thursday 1 April 2010 in the Adult Learning Centre Carn Thomas, St Mary's at 13.30
Chairman's Introduction
Marian welcomed members to the meeting.
Present were: Marian Bennett, Richard Farr, Mike & Anne Gurr, Julie Love, Steve Marshall, Jonathan Smith, Julie Watts.
Apologies had been received from Ralph Banfield, Vickie Heaney, Ann & John Horton, David Mawer, Rosemary Parslow, Anthea Roberts, Carol Williams.
'Walk Scilly' Bat Walk 31/3. This had been held the previous evening and had been disappointing. Seven visitors and four Bat Group members as 'leaders' took part (three visitors were from Vienna). After a brief introductory talk about the Bat Group and bats in general and the use of the detectors, the group walked to Rosehill along the main road and stayed about 20 minutes. No bats were seen or detected. The night was cool but dry with a moderate wind. It was disappointing also not to find bats in the expected places near the incinerator and Doilie Wood. One was detected very faintly near the hospital turn. The walk ended in Hugh Town at about 9.30pm and visitors expressed their appreciation despite the obvious disappointment.
National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) 2009. Surveys (colony count and field surveys) will continue this year on St Mary's, Bryher and St Martin's, although the latter may be simply a field survey as no roost site has been definitely located for a colony count. Mike & Anne, who have the most experience of NBMP, will try to get across to Bryher and St Martin's to help out with the first surveys. Alasdair Moore, on Tresco, has agreed to do a colony count and field survey on Tresco but will need instruction. He will not be available until mid-May, which is leaving it a bit late for the June survey. Julie Love said that it would be worth contacting John Fisher, who is now living and working on Tresco (Cottages Department) having previously been a volunteer for Alderney WT. He would be keen to be involved. Mike & Anne agreed to contact him. Julie also mentioned that NE will be funding (through the Local Area Group (LAG) and Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) schemes) a 'bat-cam' on Tresco linked to the Visitor Centre. She will keep us informed of developments in this regard.
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'Green Team' News
Anne and Mike gave a talk about bat biology and about the Bat Group to the 'Green Team' at the Secondary School on 2nd February. The 'Green Team' has funding to pursue several ecological projects mainly based on the theme of energy saving. The children were very interested and a good discussion took place. Anne & Mike will take them on a bat walk when the weather improves and also invite some of them to see the roost at Maypole Farm. We will then discuss how they can become involved in projects with the Bat Group. For example, we could raise funds to supply bat detectors so that they can cover the Islands looking for bat 'hot-spots' and potential roosts. Off-island children can look out for bats flying between islands to build up a picture of bat migration.
Research
Bat activity had been low in the winter due to the unusually cold weather, although some bats have been seen from time to time. At Maypole Farm, our first count in 2009 had been 47 on the 4th April, so it seemed necessary to start observations for 2010 in March. However, little activity has been recorded there this month. There are no droppings below the usual roost site. On the 27th, seven bats were detected in the vicinity of the roost. Of these, five were probably 'passing through' and two may possibly have emerged but this was not certain. The Group's Anabat has now been set up to detect early arrivals and, later, to give information of when bats leave and, more importantly, arrive back at the roost before dawn.
Suggestions for a research programme, focusing mainly on migration (between islands and between Scilly and the mainland), have been sent to Carol and Steve for comment. We hope to draw up a scheme for studying bat movements by radio-tracking and/or DNA analyses. Both will require assistance from people with licences to handle bats and carry out the manipulations required. One possibility is to get a student, supervised by an expert, to assist with these studies. This will require funding, which in turn will require a very soundly-based application and so is looking considerably into the future. NE and SDF sources will be explored. In discussion, it was suggested that, for this year, funds should be sought for more automatic recording equipment to be established on all inhabited islands with the emphasis on seeking evidence for inter-island migration. As more background information is accumulated, we may be in a better position to put in an application for a student project.
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Web-site and blog
The web-site is: www.scillybatgroup.org.uk
New process for BCT affiliation
BCT propose to change the method of affiliation of Groups to the Trust after a period of consultation. There is now a single mode of affiliation for which the fee is £50 pa; we have been give a reduced rate of £25. The new proposal is for three modes: (1) No formal link at all; (2) Partnership working, involving substantial obligations for both groups and for BCT; Networking, involving looser links with fewer obligations on both sides. BCT intended to send one of their staff to our meeting to explain the options but this did not materialize. Mike has invited Laura Dunne, BCT staff member responsible for coordination with Bat Groups to visit in mid-August and a meeting will be arranged at that time. Notification of the exact date will be made to members as soon as possible.
Programme for 2010.
Bat walks. In view of the success we had last year,It was agreed that we would try to again aim for at least one bat walk a month on St Mary's and several others on the off-islands. Mike will liaise with Marian and Jonathan, who are keen to have walks on Bryher and St Martin's. Assuming that a reliable contact can be found on Tresco, there was general enthusiasm to hold walk(s) on Tresco too. Dates will be notified to members as soon as possible and there will be adequate publicity through posters, web-sites, TIC and Radio Scilly before each walk. There was some discussion of the relative merits of charging a fee or asking for donations. On balance it was agreed that we will not charge a fee but ask for donations and review the matter again next year.
Other meetings. These will be arranged as opportunities arise. Steve Marshall has offered to come over and talk about bat warden training. The Secretary will circulate members asking if anyone has an interest in being trained as a bat warden as there is a need for additional wardens, especially on off-islands. A special meeting to discuss BCT affiliation will be convened in August but we
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hope to combine this with other activities to provide more interest. Mike, Anne and Ralph are happy to take individual members on bat walks to provide further experience in use of detectors. If members have ideas for additional meetings, they should contact the Secretary.
Research. This has been mainly covered in earlier sections. General information about bats on Scilly will be accumulated through encouraging as many people (members and visitors) to note any bat sightings (using the record forms, which will be made widely available). Routine roost observations by Bat Group
members (and now, hopefully, by 'Green Team' members) on all inhabited islands, coupled with more formal information from NBMP surveys will add to this knowledge. Finally more formal plans for medium and longer term research on bat migration will be developed and appropriate funding sought. The website will be used to update members on developments and the blog will be publicized as a vehicle for registering bat observations by members and visitors alike.
Any other business
Subscriptions/receipts. At the time of this meeting 22 members had paid their 2010 subscription. Ten people who were paid-up members last year have not renewed. They have been sent stamped-addressed envelopes for return to me. When you receive this newsletter, please send in your subscription if you intend to renew, otherwise the Secretary will delete your name as he does not wish to circulate people who are no longer interested!
Bat Crime. The Secretary quoted from a letter that he (and all Bat Group secretaries) had received from Julia Hanmer at BCT expressing their concerns about bat crime. BCT have set up a Crime Investigations Project and appointed a Crime Investigations Officer. This requires funding and Groups are asked to contribute. The Secretary had replied to Julia to indicate that our funds would not stretch to this sort of gesture but, despite the fact that bat crime was not an issue here, we would think about how we might help. After a general discussion of this issue, two suggestions were made by Julie Love and agreed by all. Firstly, we will give a talk to our local police on 'bats and the law' and describe what the Bat Group is doing in Scilly. Secondly, we would develop a workshop for local contractors and developers to indicate how problems of bat disturbance could be mitigated in the course of building and development work. It was agreed that Carol should be asked to advise on this topic.
The meeting closed at 15.00.
