Bats

[Dadie]

I quite like watching the bats flying around my tree in the back garden.
I remember building a bat detector in electronics club (i was a geek I know)a long time ago now!
But can anyone tell me how to tell what Kind of bat it is?
And how to build another detector if needed!

[Anfield]

try http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/wildlife/batsandpeople/identify.asp
I remember a few years ago when we were on our annual holiday to Eillean Shona (a must place to visit) and one night, whilst admiring sunset I saw bird like shapes appear.
At first I thought they were young starlings, but the absence of adults made me think again. I checked the visitors book but no one else had logged these birds so the following night I sat outside cottage and waited.
My wait was fruitful as as dusk descended I was rewarded with the sight of hundreds of pipistrelle bats emerging from the roof of cottage.

I have never heard of a "bat detector", I thought it was the type of device that less than salubrious nightclubs would have on the door to deter thugs.

[Dadie]

No a bat detector gives the frequency of the bats squeak/clicks and from that you can work out what bat you are seeing as the bats have different frequencies on the bat type....
cant remember who has what frequency though....:(
or the sound each type of bat has.....:(

[Anfield]

Try this link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_species_identification

or select from

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=identifying+bat+frequency&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a

good luck

[Dadie]

Ta!
didnt know where to start.... now to get hubby busy... ebay parts etc...(im still good at spot soldering) and we are good to go...
does anyone want to know what we find out!

[Anfield]

Depends where you are.
I live in out west so could be 40/50 miles away from you!

Good luck

[Aaldtimer]

On the Springwatch prog earlier this week, Simon thingummeyjig was demonstrating just such a device.
Of course, with his vast experience he had no probs defining each species he was picking up.
It's probably still on the Beebs iPlayer.:)