THIS summer saw Somerset’s largest Big Bat Count to date in Frome.
Frome Town Council, the Wild Bunch and over 50 local volunteers in 10 teams took part in the community event and recorded a whopping 169 bats – the most bats recorded in a night for Somerset Bat Group.
Using equipment provided by Somerset Bat Group, who assisted the group with using the recording devices, the bat spotters headed out to various locations around town. As in the Big Bat Count that took place in May, soprano and common pipistrelle were again the most commonly recorded species. However, this time saw nearly as many of the noctule species along with a good number of serotine, another larger bat species.
There may also have been an unrecorded flyby of a greater horseshoe bat as well as several recordings of the rarer species which will be confirmed following analysis later this year. To take a look at the full results, head to iNaturalist, the Community Wildlife Mapping Platform.
Cllr Steve Tanner who attended the Big Bat Count said, “Apart from being a highly enjoyable evening, the Big Bat Counts are a vital health check for the town and the fact that a record number of bats were spotted goes to show the town is providing an appealing environment for wildlife to exist and thrive.”
Somerset Bat Group were delighted with how the evening went and hope to run another Big Bat Count late summer 2024. A big thank you also goes to Wessex Water who allowed the group to survey on their site and volunteered to count bats themselves.
Visit here to find out how to be part of the community wildlife mapping project – https://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/your-community/sustainability-and-resilience/wildlife-and- biodiversity/wild-about- frome/
