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BAT FIELDCRAFT WORKSHOP, AT KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK, KILLARNEY, CO. KERRY. Report ON THE FOUR-DAY EVENT by Conor Kelleher AMIEEM, AMIQA Convener 11th September 2005 Spring Lane, Carrigagulla, Ballinagree, Macroom, Co. Cork. Ph: 021-7339247 Mobile: 087-2980297 Email: [email protected] 1 BAT FIELDCRAFT WORKSHOP, AT KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK, KILLARNEY, CO. KERRY. Report ON THE FOUR-DAY EVENT by Conor Kelleher AMIEEM, AMIQA Convener 11th September 2005 Sponsored by National Parks and Wildlife Service 2 CONTENTS Page no. 1. BACKGROUND............................................................................................................................... 4 2. AIMS.................................................................................................................................................. 4 3. TUTORS AND PARTICIPANTS ................................................................................................... 4 4. BATS AND THE LAW .................................................................................................................... 5 5. LICENCE APPLICATIONS........................................................................................................... 6 6. WORKSHOP FORMAT ................................................................................................................. 6 7. FIELDWORK RESULTS................................................................................................................ 6 8. CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................. 7 9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................. 8 10. REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 8 10.1 APPENDIX 1: DETAILS OF BATS PRESENT WITHIN KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK ................... 9 10.1.1 Common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus ................................................................... 9 10.1.2 Soprano pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus...................................................................... 9 10.1.3 Nathusius' pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii...................................................................... 9 10.1.4 Leisler’s bat Nyctalus leisleri.......................................................................................... 9 10.1.5 Natterer’s bat Myotis nattereri........................................................................................ 9 10.1.6 Whiskered bat Myotis mystacinus.................................................................................... 9 10.1.7 Brandt’s bat Myotis brandtii ......................................................................................... 10 10.1.8 Daubenton's bat Myotis daubentonii............................................................................. 10 10.1.9 Brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus......................................................................... 10 10.1.10 Lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros........................................................... 10 10.2 APPENDIX 2: ECOLOGY OF BATS ......................................................................................... 11 10.2.1 Prey............................................................................................................................... 11 10.2.2 Breeding and longevity .............................................................................................. 11 10.2.3 Threats ......................................................................................................................... 11 10.3 APPENDIX 3: PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD ................................................................................ 12 10.4 APPENDIX 4: SONOGRAMS OF RECORDED NATHUSIUS’ PIPISTRELLE CALLS ........................ 17 10.5 APPENDIX 5: PROGRAMME OF THE EVENT........................................................................... 20 10.6 APPENDIX 6: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS.................................................................................... 23 1. Background The 10th European Bat Research Symposium was convened at the National University of Ireland campus in Galway from August 21st to 26th 2005. As part of this event, an International Bat Fieldcraft Workshop was convened at Muckross Venture Centre and Killarney National Park in Killarney, Co. Kerry from August 17th to 21st 2005. Killarney National Park was chosen as the venue for the workshop as it is the only UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Ireland and it was also Ireland’s first National Park. It is an area renowned for its natural beauty. The park is 10,236 hectares in extent and comprises mountains and woodlands surrounding the three famous Lakes of Killarney. With the park’s varied habitats, it was known that eight of the ten known Irish bat species occurred on site. 2. Aims The idea of a Fieldcraft Workshop was decided upon as detector workshops have been undertaken over many years across Europe and North America and, since the last European Symposium in 2002, the technology and methodology has changed very little. Therefore, it was decided that the event in Killarney should be broadened to include not only detectors but also other field survey and study methods to make the workshop more beneficial. This resulted in a unique event. Scientific names of bat species are given in the Appendices. 3. Tutors and participants Tutors for the workshop were chosen for their experience in different aspects of bat study. All of the seven invited tutors are experts in their field. The tutors lectured on and demonstrated the following methods: Dr. Sinéad Biggane – National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland – Radio telemetry. Herman Limpens – Society for the Study and Conservation of Mammals, The Netherlands – Detectors, Leisler’s bat studies. Dr. Dean Waters – University of Leeds, England – Detectors, Leisler’s bat studies, acoustics, detector method comparison. Anne-Jifke Haarsma – Leiden University, The Netherlands – Capture methods and marking: transponders, light tagging, fur clipping, ringing, tattooing etc. Frank Greenaway – Natural History Museum, London, England – Capture methods: mist- netting, harp-trapping, lures, hand-netting, cone-trapping etc. Daniel Whitby – Whitby Wildlife Conservation, England – Capture methods: mist-netting, harp- trapping, lures. Dr. Tomasz Kokurewicz – Department of Zoology and Ecology, Agricultural University of Wroclaw, Poland – Handling, sexing, ageing, measuring, reproductive status and preserving specimens. The following participants attended: Tina Aughney Ireland Kate Barlow Wales Daniel Buckley Ireland Jan Collins England 4 Chris Corben Australia/USA Niall Cribbon Ireland Chris Damant England Leif Gjerde Norway Emma Glanville Ireland John Haddow Scotland Clare Heardman Ireland Kjell Isaksen Norway Conor Kelleher Ireland Irena Kranjec Slovenia Thomas Lilley Finland Kim Livengood USA Solveig Lubeley Germany Deirdre Lynn Ireland Colleen Mainstone England Ferdia Marnell Ireland Enda Mullen Ireland Brendan O'Shea Ireland Patrick Prevett Australia/USA Egoitz Salsamendi Basque Country Jasper Schut The Netherlands Knut Age Storstad Norway Sam Talbot England Emma Teeling Ireland Peter Twisk The Netherlands Diederik van Dullemen The Netherlands Participants were chosen after submission of a CV detailing their background and experience with bats. This ensured that all were to the relevant standard and could contribute accordingly. Many of the participants contributed their own demonstrations. These included a presentation on the use of the Australian/USA Anabat detection system by Chris Corben, the designer. One participant; Irena Kranjec, a student from Slovenia, was sponsored as part of the funding to attend the event. She also went on to attend the Symposium. The funding also ensured the presence of Tomasz Kokurewicz, from Poland. 4. Bats and the law All bat species are protected under the Wildlife Act (1976) and Wildlife [Amendment] Act (2000), several of which are known to be present on site or may occur on site occasionally. It is an offence to wilfully interfere with or destroy the breeding or resting place of these species (Wildlife Act, 1976; Wildlife [Amendment] Act 2000); there are limited exemptions for certain kinds of construction developments. The following are considered as species of conservation interest (Red Data Book; Whilde, A, 1993): pipistrelle, Daubenton’s, Leisler’s and brown long-eared bats. Threatened species include the whiskered bat and Natterer’s bat. All bats are listed species under Annex IV of the Habitats Directive (EU) and the lesser horseshoe is further listed under Annex II of the Directive. The EC Directive on The Conservation of Natural habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (Habitats Directive 1992), seeks to protect rare species, including bats, and their habitats and requires that appropriate monitoring of populations be undertaken. Across Europe, bats are further protected under the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention 1982), which, in relation to bats, exists to conserve all species and their habitats. The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn 5 Convention 1979, enacted 1983) was instigated to protect migrant species across all European boundaries. The Irish government has ratified both these