French Research Trips

The 2010 course contained a small amount of daily tuition, planning of transects and/or sound analysis in the mornings, and field work was carried out in different locations each night. The main objective was to gather as much data as possible for the French bio-diversity maps, carrying out transects and capturing bats each night.

We recorded bats either by capture and in hand identification or by recording calls on walking transects, analysing the calls the following day. Catching and in-hand identification was carried out using triple high, double and single high mist nets, and harp traps with a modified sonic lure. There were good opportunities to photograph bats and record their calls upon release.

2008 Capture List

In 2008, two little bats were caught in our harp trap which were very much like Alcathoe Myotis alcathoe (!), along with the following which were caught in the various mist nets and harp traps: – many greater mouse-eared Myotis myotis, lesser mouse-eared Myotis blythi, daubenton’s Myotis daubentoni, natterer’s Myotis nattereri, whiskered Myotis mystacinus, Bechstein’s Myotis bechsteinii, Schreiber’s’ Miniopterus schreibersii, brown long-eared Plecotus auritus, grey long-eared Plecotus austriacus, barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus, lesser horseshoe Rhinolophus hipposideros, Mediterranean horseshoe Rhinolophus euryale, greater horseshoe Rhiniolophus ferrumequinum, Noctule Nyctalus noctula, and common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus.

We also recorded European free-tailed Tadarida teniotis, (huge numbers of these at one site, and many were social calling), Geoffroy’s Myotis emarginatus, serotine Eptesicus serotinus, Kuhl’s pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhli (plentiful numbers of these and many were social calling). In addition, there were also leisler’s Nycatulus leisleri, greater noctule Nycatalus lasiopterus, Savi’s pipistrelle Hypsugo savii and long-fingered bat Myotis cappaccini. There was possibly Alpine long-eared Plecotus macrobullaris present in some parts of the midi Pyrenees, but these managed to successfully evade us this time!

2009 Capture List – Lot Region

Alcathoe Myotis alcathoe, Daubenton’s Myotis daubentoni, greater mouse-eared Myotis myotis, lesser mouse-eared Myotis blythi, Bechstein’s Myotis bechsteini, natterer’s Myotis nattereri, Geoffroy’s Myotis emarginatus, common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Nathusius’ pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii, barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus, brown long-eared Plecotus auritus, serotine Eptesicus serotinus, Schreiber’s Miniopterus schreibersii, lesser horseshoe Rhinolophus hipposideros, greater horseshoe Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, and Mediterranean horseshoe Rhinolophus euryale.

Additional bats recorded using detectors included Nyctalus sp., Noctule Nyctalus noctula and kuhl’s pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii, Plecotus sp.

2010 Capture List – Aveyron

Alcathoe Myotis Alcathoe, Daubenton’s Myotis daubentoni, greater mouse-eared Myotis myotis, natterer’s Myotis nattereri, Geoffroy’s Myotis emarginatus, Bechstein’s Myotis bechsteini, common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus, barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus, brown long-eared Plecotus auritus, possible Sardinian long-eared Plecotus macrobullaris, greater horseshoe Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, lesser horseshoe Rhinilophus hipposideros, and Schreiber’s Miniopterus schreibersii, with Noctule Nyctalus noctula and greater noctule Nyctalus lasiopteris recorded with bat detectors.