Working to protect and conserve Jersey’s native bat species through research, education, and community involvement.
- enquiries@jerseybatgroup.org
Jane Hurley
It had rained all day – and in the Lake District that meant everything, and everyone, was very wet and muddy! We had tried a low-level hike but even then you couldn’t see much. Back at base and the wet day had turned into a lovely evening, so rather than heading to the pub we borrowed a bat detector from the hostel and wandered off to the nearby bridge and river to see what we could detect. What a revelation! That quiet, peaceful place was full of extraordinary clicks and staccato sounds, and once you knew where to look you could see the bats swooping up and down, across the surface of the water, up to the tops of the trees, gliding and diving and tumbling. Eventually we headed back but still with the bat detector switched on so we could catch any activity around the village and roads.
So that was that, as I thought, except that a lovely Christmas present from my son was a Magenta 4 bat detector. Of course, as it was winter I realised it would be difficult to find native bats flying around so I thought I would try the bat tunnel at Jersey zoo to see if the detector worked. Little did I know then that fruit bats rarely echolocate! Still unsure if the detector was working or if I was not using it correctly, I jumped at the chance in the springtime to join a public walk that Jersey Bat Group (JBG) were hosting at Val de la Mare. We saw bats in the car park, along the walk, at the reservoir, with friendly members very happy to share their knowledge … and I was hooked!
I joined the Jersey Bat Group, attended their meetings, got involved with emergence surveys, took books out from the Jersey library. The more you find out about bats the more you appreciate their amazing lives and the more you learn about the environment around you. You can get as involved as much, or as little, as you like in JBG activities. There are research projects, meetings, fund raising activities, on-line talks and, of course, bat walks. You never know what you might come across on the walks – glow worms, owls, hedgehogs (surprisingly noisy!), people doing moth counts…- as well as, of course bats.
I never tire of seeing and hearing bats – in fact it seems quite strange to go for a walk in the evening without a detector – it is far too quiet! And helping with walks where you can see people light up as they discover the wonder of bats and the environment is a great feeling.
Working to protect and conserve Jersey’s native bat species through research, education, and community involvement.
Jersey Bat Group
Registered Charity No. 17
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