Essex Bat Group Events 2011.

Please find below our exciting programme of Bat Events planned for 2011. Come and find out more about these fascinating creatures of the night on guided walks, surveys, colony counts, talks and much more. Everybody is welcome to attend these events, but please note that some events require advance booking and some events may request a donation. At most events a number of bat detectors will be provided to be shared between the group. For your own comfort and safety please bring along a torch and wear suitable clothing and footwear. In the event of heavy rain or strong winds the event will be cancelled. Contact event leader for further information.

Bat Surveys at Weald Country Park South Weald Country Park in Brentwood, Essex is a beautiful mosaic of open grasslands, wood pasture with veteran trees, ancient and secondary woodland, scrubland , lakes and ponds. Essex Bat Group members Graham Hart and Duncan Fisher have recently been surveying the park on a regular basis and have uncovered some notable species present (including Barbastelle) The surveys will be continuing this year. Those with Frequency Division and /or Time Expansion detectors and anyone else looking to gain more experience are very welcome. The surveys are ideal for those who wish to gain more experience in field survey work, using bat detectors and analysing bat calls. Surveys are on a Monday evening (weather permitting) and the dates are: May 16th June 6th July 4th Aug 8th Sep 5th Oct 3rd Please bring a torch, waterproof clothing, stout footwear and your own refreshments if you wish. (There is even a lovely country pub nearby for a post survey debrief!) If you are interested in attending any of these dates please email Graham Hart thehart@btinternet.com. Full details on times and meeting place will be sent out nearer the time.

Essex Wildlife Trust - Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre
Fortnightly Maternity Roost Counts Hawkswood Road, Downham, Billericay, CM11 1WT. Discovered in 2006, the visitor centre has a maternity roost of over 400 Soprano pipistrelle bats roosting under the roof tiles. Join a small team of volunteers to count the bats as they leave the roost at dusk. Fortnightly counts are carried out on Wednesday evenings, weather permitting. If you wish to join a count please contact Pete Claughton in advance by email pete.claughton@btinternet.com to confirm date, time and other arrangements. Bring along a folding chair and bat detector if you have one. Some dates may change to align with the National Bat Monitoring Survey Programme. April 20th , May 4th, May 18th, June 1st, June 15th, June 29th, July 13th, July 27th - Public event for which a donation will be requested call 01268 711001 to book in advance, August 10th, August 24th, September 7th, and September 21st.

Essex Wildlife Trust - Bedfords Park (nr Romford) Family Bat Evening
Friday 15th April 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Join us for an informative talk, then a walk to see if you can find Bedfords Park's bats. £5 donation per person - advance booking essential. Bedfords Park Visitor Centre, Broxhill Road, Havering-atte-Bower, RM4 1QH 01708 748646 Bedfords@essexwt.org.uk

Bat Walk Saturday 23rd April - Colchester Castle Park
Event in partnership with Colchester Borough Council. Please book your place in advance. 19.00 start. Meet near café in park. Booking is essential 01206 282962. Free to EBG members. Numbers limited. Bat Evening Saturday 7th May - Lexden Park Take a walk with bat experts from Essex Bat Group through the Park, using bat detectors and find out what species are living there. Normally exceptional views of bats are gained over the lake. Countryside Ranger 01206 853588 Booking: Essential. Suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied. Cost: £3 donation per. Event time: 6.45pm - 9pm (approximate finish time). Meet: TL 971 250 Car park off Church Lane. Walk Leader; Robin Cottrill

Sat May 14th EBG members
Are invited to join an evening event to launch the 'Friends of the Church of St Peter' Great Totham The evening starts at 7pm with a short talk by Roger and Sylvia Jiggins, followed by drinks and nibbles and hopefully a flying display in the church by the resident Natterer's, Pipistrelles and Brown Long-eared Bats before they emerge outside. TL 862 110.

Bat Walk Saturday 14th May - Colchester Castle Park
Event in partnership with Colchester Borough Council. Please book your place in advance. 20.30 start. Meet near café in park. Booking is essential 01206 282962. Free to EBG members. Numbers limited. Walk Leader; Robin Cottrill

Bat Evening Saturday 21st May - Wivenhoe Woods
Take a walk with bat experts from Essex Bat Group through the woods, using bat detectors to find out what species are living there. Booking: Essential. Suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied. Phone 01206 853588?? Cost: £3 donation. Event time: 20.45 Meet: TM 035 223 Rosabelle Avenue car park. Walk Leader; Robin Cottrill

Bat and Moth Evening, joint with Essex Wildlife Trust
Friday 22nd July - Phyllis Currie Nature Reserve Great Leighs, near Braintree. Moth traps will be running and we will walk round the reserve with bat detectors. Booking: just turn up (bring small torch) Cost: £3 donation per adult Event time: 20.30 Meet: TL 723 184 From the St Annes Castle pub in Gt Leighs take the Felsted Rd, after ¾ mile turn right into Dumney Lane. After about 500yds you reach the reserve car park. Walk leader: Contact Sylvia Jiggins r.jiggins@btconnect.com 07880 917171

Saturday 13th August (19.30 - 21.30) Essex Wildlife Trust
- Fingringhoe Wick Family Nocturnal Nature Walks Chance to see the reserve after dark, with good chances of seeing badgers, foxes, tawny and barn owls, muntjacs and bat detecting too. Advance booking and donation essential £5 per person 01206 729678 Address: South Green Road, Fingringhoe, Essex, CO5 7DN Grid ref: TM 048 193

Bat Walk Saturday 13th August - Bourne Valley Local Nature Reserve
A gentle wander from the bat roost, in the cemetery, to Bourne Pond with a bat expert from the Essex Bat Group identifying different bat species with a detector. Countryside Ranger 01206 853588. Booking: Essential. Suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied. Bring a torch. Cost: £3 donation per adult. Event time: 20.00 Meet: Please check with the Countryside Ranger on booking. Walk Leader; Robin Cottrill

Essex Wildlife Trust - Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre and Nature Reserve Family Bat Evening Thurs 18th August 7.30 - 9.30pm. £5 donation per person advance booking essential 01268 711001 Hawkswood Road, Downham, Billericay, CM11 1WT.

Essex Wildlife Trust - Bedfords Park (nr Romford)
Family Bat Evening Friday 26th August 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Join us for an informative talk, then a walk to see if you can find Bedfords Park's bats. £5 donation per person - advance booking essential. Bedfords Park Visitor Centre, Broxhill Road, Havering-atte-Bower, RM4 1QH 01708 748646 Bedfords@essexwt.org.uk

Friday 26th Aug (19.00 - 21.00) Essex Wildlife Trust - Fingringhoe Wick
Family Nocturnal Nature Walks Chance to see the reserve after dark, with good chances of seeing badgers, foxes, tawny and barn owls, muntjacs and bat detecting too. Advance booking and donation essential £5 per person 01206 729678 Address: South Green Road, Fingringhoe, Essex, CO5 7DN Grid ref: TM 048 193

Saturday 10th Sept (18.30 - 20.30) Essex Wildlife Trust - Fingringhoe Wick
Family Nocturnal Nature Walks Chance to see the reserve after dark, with good chances of seeing badgers, foxes, tawny and barn owls, muntjacs and bat detecting too. Advance booking and donation essential £5 per person 01206 729678 Address: South Green Road, Fingringhoe, Essex, CO5 7DN Grid ref: TM 048 193

Bat Walk Saturday 10th September - Colchester Castle Park
Event in partnership with Colchester Borough Council. Please book your place in advance. 19.10 start. Meet near café in park. Booking is essential 01206 282962. Free to EBG members. Numbers limited. Walk Leader; Robin Cottrill

Bat Evening Saturday 17 September - High Woods Country Park
Start at the Visitor Centre with a talk from the Essex Bat Group, and then explore the park with bat detectors looking out for different species flying over. Countryside Ranger 01206 853588 Booking: Essential. Suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied. Bring a torch. Cost: £3 donation per adult. Event time: 18.45 Meet: TL 998 270 Visitor Centre. Walk Leader; Robin Cottrill

Saturday 24th Sept (18.00 - 20.00) Essex Wildlife Trust - Fingringhoe Wick
Family Nocturnal Nature Walks Chance to see the reserve after dark, with good chances of seeing badgers, foxes, tawny and barn owls, muntjacs and bat detecting too. Advance booking and donation essential £5 per person 01206 729678 Address: South Green Road, Fingringhoe, Essex, CO5 7DN Grid ref: TM 048 193

Bat Walk Saturday 24th September - Colchester Castle Park
Event in partnership with Colchester Borough Council. Please book your place in advance. 18.40 start. Meet near café in park. Booking is essential 01206 282962. Free to EBG members. Numbers limited. Walk Leader; Robin Cottrill Essex Wildlife Trust - Bedfords Park (nr Romford) Family Bat Evening Friday 30th September 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Join us for an informative talk, then a walk to see if you can find Bedfords Park's bats. £5 donation per person - advance booking essential. Bedfords Park Visitor Centre, Broxhill Road, Havering-atte-Bower, RM4 1QH 01708 748646 Bedfords@essexwt.org.uk

Bats of Trinidad Friday 2nd December, 7.30pm. Boreham Village Hall, Boreham Trinidad is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just seven miles off the coast of Venezuela. It has a rich diversity of bats, with approximately seventy species recorded, representing all the major feeding guilds and including the infamous vampire bats. Daniel Hargreaves will give an illustrated talk about the amazing variety of bats, their ecology and recent bat conservation efforts in Trinidad. The talk will last about one hour with a mixture of photos and videos. More details will be included in the next edition of the newsletter. Essex Bat Group Members’ Evening.

For further information or suggestions for future events please contact Becky Gibson beckyg@essexwt.org.uk We hope you enjoy the events for 2010 Becky Gibson - EBG Programme Secretary