Our Strangest Bat Survey Discoveries
When most people think of bat surveys, they imagine quiet evenings, specialist equipment and careful checks around buildings. And that’s all true. But surveys also involve climbing into roof spaces, squeezing into awkward corners and exploring parts of buildings that rarely see daylight.
Which means we sometimes find things that have nothing to do with bats at all. Let’s take a look at the unusual objects we come across during perfectly ordinary survey visits.
bats are Pretty predictable… People are not
Bats use buildings in predictable ways through the seasons. The same cannot always be said for the items that end up in lofts, cupboards and forgotten storage spaces. Over the years we have come across all sorts, and these are our favourites…
We never found out why a disused timber factory was home to so many dolls, scattered throughout the property.
We often come across murals and graffiti, and this one really stands out in our memory. A very unique take!
Sometimes the graffiti we see makes us feel quite at home, and reminds us to take a break even during the long, busy survey season!
David, our founder, got quite the fright coming across this set of tailor’s dummies in a poorly lit mill.
Written reminders not to disturb known bat roosts are not unusual, and it’s always reassuring to know our clients are following the law.
The kids at this school knew we were coming!
Sometimes we see how people felt about a site. Ward 4 wasn’t this person’s favourite place to work!
These industrial washing machines were given a very impressive makeover.
We have to confess, this one was us. This was the last of the paint used to mark 52 roosts on an enormous site that has since been demolished.
The real purpose remains the same
Although unusual finds make for good stories, the core of a bat survey is always ecological. We check for safe access, potential bat entry points, signs of use and anything that might affect your planned project. Unusual discoveries simply come with the territory.
And if you are worried that your loft contains something you had forgotten about, there is no need to tidy it before we arrive. We work around normal household storage all the time.
If anything, it is far more helpful to arrange the survey early so we can give you clear guidance on your project timeline.
Why these finds matter (even when they don’t)
Most unusual objects have no impact on the ecological side of the work. But they do highlight something important: your survey is not judged on tidiness, organisation or how long it has been since anyone checked the loft. Our only focus is assessing whether bats are present and ensuring your project moves forward legally and confidently.
If you need a bat survey (or just think you might) get in touch with our team of specialist ecologists!