More than 60 volunteers recently spotted 138 bats across 11 species at the Big Bat Count in Frome.
Divided into 11 teams, volunteers received basic training and an introduction to the recording equipment from Somerset Bat Group at the town hall before heading out to a variety of locations across the town.
As in previous years and as expected, common and soprano pipistrelle bats were the most frequently observed species in Frome. These were followed by sightings of serotine and noctule bats.
Volunteers also identified greater horseshoe bats during the count, a species of significant conservation interest, although only one observation has so far been formally confirmed.
Initial, unverified observations from the night have been shared on iNaturalist, contributing to wider citizen science efforts and helping to build a clearer picture of bat distribution nationwide.
Andy Avery from Somerset Bat Group said, “Frome never fails to disappoint and we had another fully booked Big Bat Count, with many people new to bats. Our thanks once again to Jo from Frome Town Council for superb organising.”
Cllr Andy Jones said, “There’s always a good turnout for the Big Bat Count – it isn’t just a fun and interesting evening out and a great example of ‘citizen science’ in action; it’s also an important gauge of the health of our natural habitats, keeping us mindful of what we can and must do to protect the environment and the ecosystem we all depend on.”
For more information and to view the bat observations map, visit Frome Town Council’s iNaturalist page at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/frome-town.
