Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Monitoring: Greater Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) in the Wye Valley (2005)

The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bats Sites Special Area of Conservation (SAC), is considered one of the best areas in the UK for both Greater Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) and Lesser Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus hipposideros). The activity patterns of greater horseshoe bats roosting at Newton Court Stable Block Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) were investigated over a ten-day period during August 2004 in order to ascertain key foraging areas, flight paths and night roosting sites. Ten bats, eight lactating females and two juvenile males, were radio-tagged and followed for the duration of the study period. Greena Ecological Consultancy was commissioned by the Countryside Council for Wales to identify and assess the condition of principal flight routes and key foraging areas used by the colony, in order to develop Performance Indicators. A condition survey of the actual and potential flight lines within 500 m of the Newton Court Stable Block was carried out, a paper map and MapInfo file has been compiled allowing future condition monitoring by the lengths of flight features present.

Identification

Identifier
NRW_DS115616
Alternative Title
  • Monitro ACA: Ystlumod Pedol Mwyaf yn Nyffryn Gwy (2005)
Metadata Language
English
Lineage

Horseshoe bats from the Newton Court Stable Block were radio tagged and tracked over a 10-day period. Bats were fitted with 0.57 and 0.7g 173 MHz radio transmitters, manufactured by Biotrack of Dorset, with a specified minimum 10-day battery life. All captured bats were weighed, sexed, measured and examined to ascertain breeding condition or whether they were juveniles. Also where bats were ringed numbers were recorded. The two fieldworkers used Australis 26K and Sika receivers with Yaggi rigid aerials to track bats and whip omni-directional antennas to search for bats by vehicle. Accurate bearings of bat locations were taken from hand held sighting compasses. The surveyors also used Duet bat detectors on occasion to confirm the presence of non-tagged greater horseshoe bats by listening for their characteristic echolocation calls. Each time a tagged bat was detected, the following data was recorded: Time or time period, Bat ID number, Bat location bearing/ range of bearings, Initials of surveyor taking a bearing at the same time for triangulation, Surveyor grid reference, Surveyor location description, Signal strength, Comments regarding bat behaviour. Within the confirmed foraging areas habitat categories / features were condition mapped. The condition score indicates many features are present within the precise places bats use and the immediately adjacent habitats. Future condition assessment could then determine if there has been a deterioration in habitat quality (indicated by a reduction in the number of features) or an improvement (shown by an increase in the number of features present). The actual and potential condition areas (with number of feature scores) are included in the habitat maps. Bat count data has been collected for this colony during spring and summer every year since 1991 but additional information was required on habitat and flight corridors around the roost and of the surrounding area.
Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
2005-02-28
Owner
  Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en
Originator
  Greena Ecological Consultancy
Stonehaven, Frome, BA11 5HH
http://www.greenaeco.co.uk
 

Extent

Extent

Geographic Extent
SIR FYNWY - MONMOUTHSHIRE
N
W
E
S
Map representing the geographic extent of the dataset


 
 

Distribution

Format Type and Description
  • Documents ()

    Specification

    [A] The final report in Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF formats. [B] A full set of maps produced in BMP and Microsoft Word Format [C] Flight and roost data in GIS Format

 

Quality

Data quality

Quality Scope
Dataset
Conformity
Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
Explanation

This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
Degree
false
Lineage

Horseshoe bats from the Newton Court Stable Block were radio tagged and tracked over a 10-day period. Bats were fitted with 0.57 and 0.7g 173 MHz radio transmitters, manufactured by Biotrack of Dorset, with a specified minimum 10-day battery life. All captured bats were weighed, sexed, measured and examined to ascertain breeding condition or whether they were juveniles. Also where bats were ringed numbers were recorded. The two fieldworkers used Australis 26K and Sika receivers with Yaggi rigid aerials to track bats and whip omni-directional antennas to search for bats by vehicle. Accurate bearings of bat locations were taken from hand held sighting compasses. The surveyors also used Duet bat detectors on occasion to confirm the presence of non-tagged greater horseshoe bats by listening for their characteristic echolocation calls. Each time a tagged bat was detected, the following data was recorded: Time or time period, Bat ID number, Bat location bearing/ range of bearings, Initials of surveyor taking a bearing at the same time for triangulation, Surveyor grid reference, Surveyor location description, Signal strength, Comments regarding bat behaviour. Within the confirmed foraging areas habitat categories / features were condition mapped. The condition score indicates many features are present within the precise places bats use and the immediately adjacent habitats. Future condition assessment could then determine if there has been a deterioration in habitat quality (indicated by a reduction in the number of features) or an improvement (shown by an increase in the number of features present). The actual and potential condition areas (with number of feature scores) are included in the habitat maps. Bat count data has been collected for this colony during spring and summer every year since 1991 but additional information was required on habitat and flight corridors around the roost and of the surrounding area.
 

Keywords

Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
Type
Theme

Citation

Date (Publication)
2008-06-01
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme

Keywords

NRW Thesaurus
  • greater horseshoe bats
  • rhinolophus ferrumequinum
  • Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) - SAC monitoring
  • Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) (see also Candidate Special Areas of Conservation cSAC)
  • candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC)
  • Wye Valley
Type
Theme

Citation

Date (Publication)
2023-12-31
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords
 

Spatial Reference System

Code
British National Grid (EPSG::27700)
 

Content

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

NRW Related Title

Monitoring (the Welsh colony of) greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) in the Wye Valley through radio-tracking and field survey to assess habitat use and condition
 

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Restriction type
Other restrictions
 

Access Constraints Directive

Limitations
no limitations
 

Access Constraints Text

Other constraints

Part of this dataset is sensitive and restricted. The sensitive data is as follows; detailed locations of bat roosts on private property, locations of underground roost sites, names of roosts which reveal exact or personal addresses. Sensitive data must be kept confidential; general release is not permitted due to risk of harm to the environment or third parties. Sensitive data may only be released under an appropriate NRW Licence. Requests should be referred to NRW's Access to Information Officer. Data may be released freely if the sensitive records are removed in advance, or shown only at a coarser scale.
 

Use Constraints

Use constraints type
Other restrictions
Other constraints

© CNC/NRW 2005 Recipients may only re-use sensitive data in strict confidence under the terms of an appropriate NRW Licence. No publication or dissemination is permitted, except if sensitive records are removed in advance, or shown only at a coarser scale.
 
 
 

Metadata

Metadata

File Identifier
4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313135363136 XML
Metadata Language
English
Parent Identifier
Condition monitoring of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in Wales

NRW_DS110194
Resource type
Dataset
Metadata Date
2024-05-31T09:22:19.765Z
Metadata Standard Name
NRW
Metadata Standard Version

1.0

pointOfContact
  Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en
 
 

Publishing Body

Access the portal