Bat surveys and roost counts

The Manx Bat Group regularly undertakes surveys of properties or particular locations to check for the presence of bats. Anyone can help and more volunteers are usually required. This typically involves the volunteers team watching for bats at different viewpoints around a building or structure and noting the numbers leaving (at dusk) or entering (at dawn). If possible we try to identify the species using bat detectors and visual clues. Contact us if you’d like to volunteer. Training will be provided.

Members can also participate in various bat surveys and ongoing roost monitoring throughout the summer months. Contact each coordinator below for details.

bridge survey looking for bats

Roost counts: summer months

Checking known clusters of roosts to estimate numbers and confirm species. You can volunteer to monitor particular roosts in your own time, or why not get together a team to monitor a local area? Training can be provided.

Coordinator: Nick Pinder

Bat Search: - June to August

A citizen science project where members of the public can volunteer to help the Manx Bat Group collect records of Manx bats. This will involve walking a transect survey, with a loaned bat recorder, at least once a month during June, July and August. The data from the recorders will be analysed to see what bats have been detected where. We will then look to repeat the surveys in years to come to see if our bat population is changing. For more details see the Bat Search link

Coordinator: Bob Moon

Nathusius' pipistrelle hunt: September

Join our search to find what would be a new species for the Island.

Coordinator: Bob Moon

surveying a bridge for bats
surveying sea caves