@oxbatgroup
We are a dedicated group of volunteers with a shared passion for bats. As a registered charity and proud partner of the Bat Conservation Trust, our mission is to promote the recording and conservation of bats across Oxfordshire and beyond.
Thank you to Philip Parker for his great talk last night. His commitment to the Bats in Churches project is incredible, even sleeping in churches overnight to complete surveys! That was our last talk of the season, but do join our WhatsApp group to stay in touch on projects for the upcoming season.
Ha! Do need to add that one...
Happy World Book Day! What’s your favourite bat-related book? Which titles should we add to our shelves? Let us know!
Do you like bats? Do you like churches? If you answered ‘yes’ to either or both questions, be sure to join our Zoom talk tomorrow!
And if you’re a member, be sure to join us at 7pm to hear more about the group and how you can get more involved.
DM for more details!
Coming soon! The Social Lives of Bats edited by Christina R. Stanley 🦇
This ground-breaking book offers unique insights into bat society and relationships, from familial bonds, to friendship, group dynamics and even altruism.
Learn more and preorder your copy ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/c97wpk7e
🦇 #FlyingFoxes
Please #TakeAction to end the shooting permits in Queensland!
You don't need to be an AUS citizen; just click "rest of the world" on the website, copy & paste the text. As @friendsofbats.bsky.social said: "Just send them an email wherever you are, tell them the world is watching" !
🦇 It's March! Bats may begin to emerge and signs of limited activity can be seen (if you haven't already!). There are small numbers feeding as it gets warmer. In bad weather, they may become torpid again.
🎤 Join John Lindley from South Stoke Wildlife & Conservation Group at #TVERCconf to learn how a small Oxfordshire village recorded 1,750 species! Get tips on surveying, ID, and community involvement.
🗓️ Saturday 21st March | 📍 Cholsey Great Hall
🎟️ Book now: https://f.mtr.cool/cxyikxncug
⏱️ One week to go! Use our simple template to take action to protect chalk streams.
The proposed new planning rules mentions chalk streams for the first time ever. But we need your help to make sure this new protection is as strong as possible.
Very enjoyable, but would have benefited from more bats.
Old water tower, now a bat house
If there was a competition for best bat 🦇 house, this would get my nomination. Home to Lesser False Vampire bats…
‘Bats in Churches’. A talk with Philip Parker is to be held online on Thurs 5th March at 7.30 pm, with our AGM taking place at 7 pm.
The link to this Zoom chat has been sent to our members. Should you be a non-member and wish to attend please send me a DM!
#oxfordshire #bats #biodiversity
A massive thank you to Jo Ferguson from the BCT for her hugely engaging talk last night. We covered a lot of ground and some really interesting topics, clearly and concisely in a short space of time. Thanks also to everyone who attended - it was our largest turnout so far!
#oxfordshire #bats
Just a reminder that this talk will be happening on Thursday, we hope to see you there!
#oxfordshire #oxford #bats #batsofinstagram
A video sample every minute gave a fly-out estimate of these wrinkle-lipped bats at Nayang in Thailand yesterday of 225,080 bats, but “a bit more than 200,000” is perhaps a more honest view of the accuracy. I like the way the column keeps clipping that tree.
‘Landscaping for Bats, Biodiversity and People’. A talk by Jo Ferguson to be held online on Thursday, 5th February at 7.30 pm.
The link to this Zoom chat will be sent out to our members soon. Should you be a non-member and wish to attend please send me a DM! Jo Ferguson, the Built Environment Officer from the Bat Conservation Trust, delivers a talk showing how to design, plant and manage outdoor spaces that support bat populations, boost wider biodiversity, and create enjoyable, rich places for people.
‘Landscaping for Bats, Biodiversity and People’. A talk to be held online on Thurs 5th Feb at 7.30 pm.
The link to this Zoom chat will be sent out to our members soon. Should you be a non-member and wish to attend please send me a DM!
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/sublime-beauty-korean-ceramics-from-a-private-collection/a-blue-and-white-bats-hexalobed-dish-joseon
🦇 #BatsInArt #PreciousBats #19thCentury #Korean #JoseonDynasty
BATS, 19th century
Blue and white hexalobed dish, Joseon dynasty,
ceramics
🦇 Bats are long-lived mammals which reproduce slowly: each female can only produce one baby per year and not all females will have babies each year. For this reason their populations are very slow to grow or recover their numbers.
www.bats.org.uk/about-bats
https://www.artsy.net/artwork/francisco-toledo-bat-on-yellow-background-kite
🦇 #BatsInArt #PreciousBats #FranciscoToledo #MexicanArt #Contemporary
Francisco Toledo (1940 - 2019)
BAT ON YELLOW BACKGROUND (Kite), 2009
Stencil on handmade paper kite
🦇 Everything you need to know about the Nocturnal Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show can be found here: www.bats.org.uk/our-work/noc... . Explore our pages to learn about the concept, why gardens are important for bats, the fantastic bat sculpture, the garden designer and more!
Ha! They are amazing photos.
Merry Christmas, all! As a gift here is Kate Bush dressed up as a bat.
Thank you to all who attended our talk last night, and a special thank you to Stuart Newson from the British Trust for Ornithology. An exceptional and captivating speaker with an inspiring and bold vision, and a very unique recording studio!
Just a reminder that this talk will be happening this evening, we hope to see you there!
@natreswales.bsky.social published the first Species in Peril report.
It outlines species at risk in Wales which includes six mammal species, five of which are bat species: greater horseshoe bat, Bechstein’s bat, Leisler’s bat, barbastelle and serotine.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...?
‘Unlocking Nature's Secrets: Identifying Bats & Other Wildlife Across Europe and North Africa Through Sound’. A talk to be held online on Thurs 4th Dec at 7.30 pm.
The link to this Zoom chat will be sent out to our members shortly. Should you be a non-member and wish to attend please send us a DM!
The weather’s not great so would recommend ‘The Bat Man of Mexico’ should you find yourself looking for something to watch. Hugely inspirational and coming off the BBC iPlayer in 19 days.
Developers met ministers dozens of times over planning bill while ecologists were shut out
Wise words by Sir John Lawton: "There is no surrogate metric that can reliably assess conservation success or failure without knowing what is happening to populations of plants and animals in the landscape."
Write to your MP today: act.bats.org.uk/urge-your-mp...
Thanks to all who attended last night, and a special thanks to Ian Tanner for his fascinating talk on late-season bat roosting. Our next talk will be held online on 4th of December, where Stuart Newson will discuss ‘Developing a European-scale Bioacoustics Data Management Platform'.
