The Bat Conservation Trust recently released interim guidance on the use of infrared cameras to support bat emergence and return to roost surveys.
The interim advice note provides eye-opening evidence on the effectiveness (or lack of!) of dawn surveys, citing research which demonstrates that, on average, bats are already back in the roost before surveyors have even set up on site. Further to the issues with dawn surveys, how many times do you see ‘Heard not seen’ on your bat survey sheets? How many bats could therefore potentially be emerging from or returning to the target building that you’ve missed because you couldn’t see in the dark?
Here at Wharton, we’ve used infrared cameras since the 2021 survey season, and we made a significant investment before this year’s survey season to ensure that all surveys could be undertaken with infrared cameras. This ensures our surveys and assessments are robust and gives our surveyors more sleep as the use of cameras can reduce the number of surveyors needed on site. So not only is it great for our clients, but it’s also great for our team too! Why not take a read of our Senior Ecologist Hattie’s post for World Sleep Day talking about other things we’ve implemented to help the Ecology Team get more sleep this survey season!
For more information on bat surveys and the benefits of IR technology, please do get in touch with us!
