The Northern Ireland Bat Group AGM will take place on Sunday 22 May, 2016 at Cultra Manor at The Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Holywood, Co Down, starting at 2.30 pm and finishing before 5.00pm. This will include: A talk by Dr. Emma Boston on her research on swarming by Nathusius’ pipistrelle bats A talk […]
Going Batty in Schools
15 Schools across the North West region including Derry, Strabane, Limavady and Ballykelly took part in a special workshop called ‘Bats a Fact’ throughout the months of February and March 2016. The workshop began with a talk all about bats of the world, why they are important and the myths that surround them. Pupils then […]
Spring Has Sprung
Spring has sprung and with it, our wee furry babies have started emerging from hibernation! A bat was seen flying around Parkanaur Forest Park, Dungannon at 4pm during the day. Big thanks to Glenda Hall for spotting this and bringing it to our attention. Judging by the wing shape, size of the bat, distance between […]
Free Training for Volunteers
Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Northern Ireland Bat Group can offer free training for new volunteers to become: – Ambulance Drivers; – Licensed Bat Carers; and, – Bat Roost Visitors. An Ambulance driver’s duties will include answering phone calls from members of the public who have found a bat, collecting bats […]
A Busy Year for Rescues
It’s been a crazy year for bat rescues and from what we have heard from other bat groups across the UK and Ireland this pattern isn’t just here in Northern Ireland. Lots of pups at the start of the season and some being born later. There were so many grounded juveniles who were underweight and […]
Islandmagee Bat Atlas
The Islandmagee Bat Atlas is an exciting new initiative to map the bats in Islandmagee. We are looking at bat activity and presence of bat roosts across the east Antrim Peninsula. Would you like to be involved in the Islandmagee Bat Atlas Project? Over the Summer, we are recording bats across the peninsula. Finding out […]
Northern Ireland Bat Conference success
Our friends at Creggan Country Park secured funding and organised our first bat conference in the north west on Friday 6th March 2015. 120 people attended the event, which took place in the Drummond Hotel, Ballykelly. NIEA, representatives from councils and planners from across Northern Ireland attended as well as representatives from DOE, DARD, […]
NIEA Challenge Fund Success!
Ok so the weather isn’t great but on the bright side we have some exciting batty news! We will team up with our friends at Creggan Country Park to deliver the first ever Northern Ireland Bat Conference on Friday 6th March 2015 with the help of NIEA, Derry City and Strabane District Council, […]
Inspection Continues
The inspection team heads north Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and time donated by Bat group volunteers, the weekly inspection of bat boxes continues. Over the last two weeks, the volunteers have moved north to the Coleraine area. Lately, two riverside locations have been checked for bat residents and signs of previous […]
Bat Boxes Galore
With the nights drawing in and the heady nights of summer a mere distant memory, one would think that the work of the bat group was winding down for a few months. However, thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery fund, a bit of respite from the amazing world of bats is far from the […]
