Chris Dunlop says:

 

“I recently volunteered to take part in the ongoing Norfolk Bat Survey http://www.batsurvey.org/.  I signed up to survey (Ordnance Survey 1km grid square) TG3106, which covers the centre of Surlingham.  I collected a detector from David Nobbs, at Wheatfen.  Then in the evening I set this up in my garden on the Green, and left it overnight to record the echo-location calls of any bats nearby.  I repeated this for two nights, in the gardens of friends living in different parts of the TG3106 square. Then I returned the detector to Wheatfen, and posted the memory card from the detector to Stuart Newson, who is running the survey.”

 

Just a few days later I received the following, encouraging report:

 

“Hi Chris, many thanks for getting in touch, and for taking part in the Norfolk Bat Survey

 

I’ve enclosed a summary of bats recorded on your 1-km square here as an attachment – which included an impressive five species – Common pipistrelle, Soprano pipistrelle, Noctule, Brown long-eared bat, and a ‘Myotis’ species. 

 

Many thanks for taking part. If you would like to cover another 1-km square or know anyone else who might be interested please pass on the word.”

 

There is more about the project at http://www.batsurvey.org/.  Other ‘squares’ are available around Surlingham and elsewhere.