Acoustic Ecology of European Bats by Michel Barataud

 Acoustic Ecology of European Bats

Bats, being nocturnal flying mammals, have developed a special and very efficient means of navigating in the dark: the sonar. Although the acoustic signals they emit are inaudible to the human ear, they can be perceived, recorded and analysed with appropriate equipment and software.

This book is a product of the knowledge and skill acquired by its author over more than two decades of constant research on the subject of ultrasound detection. The initial, purely auditory, approach is complemented by the computed-assisted analysis of the ultrasonic signals. 

With the method described in this book, a bat detector and a computer, the reader will be able to identify about 85% of bat acoustic records in Europe, carry out bat inventories and other more in-depth surveys without disturbing the animals. Thirty-five of the 42 European bat species, including all the most widespread species, are covered.

This book is a product of the knowledge and skill acquired by its author over more than two decades of constant research on the subject of ultrasound detection. The initial, purely auditory, approach is complemented by the computed-assisted analysis of the ultrasonic signals. With the method described in this book, a bat detector and a computer, the reader will be able to identify about 85% of bat acoustic records in Europe, carry out bat inventories and other more in-depth surveys without disturbing the animals. Thirty-five of the 42 European bat species, including all the most widespread species, are covered.

Michel Barataud has spent many years of research working on the bats of not only Europe, but also the Guianas and Lesser Antilles. Over time, and taking advantage of the ongoing technological progress, he has developed a very efficient identification method and disseminated his findings through a large number of publications. An enthusiastic teacher, he has trained several hundred bat workers in ultrasound analysis and given impetus to a vast network of naturalists.
Yves Tupinier, an expert and pioneer on bat sonar, is a life-long friend. His contribution to this book is a precious addition.

Book+DVD set
The DVD includes numerous audio examples to illustrate the method as well as scatter diagrams for the identification of the emitting species

Find online regular updates

Summary
The biological sonar
Ultrasound detectors
The sonar signals of bats: classification and interpretation
The acoustic identification of bats
Applications
Acoustic ecology
Frequently asked questions on acoustic detection and identification
Perspectives
Appendices

Happy bat detecting!

The 2 New Bat Detectors Are Here!

 So, the two (new to me) bat detectors arrived on time/as expected (on October 6th). The SSF BAT3 from Germany and The Teensybat 4.1 from The Netherlands.

As always, here is a pic of how the units arrived, to me here on the East coast of North America:

The Teensybat 4.1 kit on the left, The SSF BAT3 on the right

Unboxing The SSF BAT3 - Just a peek!

The SSF BAT3 is a factory-assembled, ready-to-use detector. So, I got to charging the battery immediately. 

It's battery life is stated as being about 3-6 hours. Initial charge time for the new battery (before 1st use) was stated as 8 hours in the user manual. I was able to achieve full charge in about half that time...

Pros:

• Uses a nice, sensitive, electret microphone element. It deems to perform as well as many other pro level detector microphones. 
• It's tiny! If someone were in the market for a James Bond-sized/secret/full featured bat detector, this would be it.
• It has the potential to be very loud - Plenty of audio, even for a large-sized group to hear on a bat walk.
• It has a built-in torch - LED. Which features an auto shut-off.

Cons: 

• It seems to be based on a (Nokia?) cell phone platform. It's not very robust, in fact I might describe it as closer to delicate.
• The included wrist strap would be a must!
• It's only a heterodyne detector, although it does have an Auto-Het tuning feature (which is nice).
• The door which holds the micro SD card, is the most delicate one I've ever encountered. 

Having worked in the technology field for many years, I've probably opened/closed hundreds of these types of slots (from many different manufacturers)...When I went to insert the micro SD card, the metal door came right off in my fingers - Yikes! I got it back on, and locked the SD card in place.

It has a few neat little informative "pages" (screens) about bats, bat calls, sonograms, etc., - Like a micro encyclopedia (for lack of a better description). I'll share pics of these screens in the full review. It's available in both the German or English language. Something to look at during lulls in bat activity.

All in all, I like it so far. Mainly because it packs so many features into such a tiny package. I also purchased the belt loop carrying case.

First opening of Teensbat 4.1 kit

Major components of The Teensbat 4.1 detector kit

I think it's very interesting to look at both this detector, and The Teensybat - which I've already started to assemble... I made sure that I had every last component ready to go, so that when the detectors arrived - No time would be wasted!

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting!

The Two New Detectors En Route - A Trivial Status Update

Just an unexciting update on the ETA of the 2 new bat detectors.

I've been watching them closely, anxiously awaiting their arrival.

It  looks like they will both be arriving sometime before the end of this week. So, it took about 2 weeks for them to arrive. All good things to those who wait, and all that...

Now, I would like to share some useful tidbits of information (chiefly for anyone ordering either one of these units): 

• If you live on the East coast of North America, you can expect the delivery to take approximately 8-14 business days (without counting Sundays).
• If you live in Europe, you'll only wait a fraction of that time - Probably about 3 days, would be my guess (mostly likely as short as 1-2 days!).

So, I can't really do much more than to share a couple of random updates:

• The post just prior to this, was a brief review of a book (I was interested in it for a while) titled 'Is That a Bat?' By Neil Middleton. An awesome book, anyway you slice it. It would be especially enjoyed by anyone recording bats in the field; as well as those involved with wildlife sound recording in general.
• I'm also happy to report that I will be reviewing another book on bats here, in the near future. It is titled 'A Miscellany of Bats' by M. Brock Fenton, and Jens Rydell.
• This is also a good time to point out a new book which is scheduled to come out early next year, written by Nils Boulliard. It's title is 'Big Bat Year'

Thinking about these books again, just served to remind me: Pelagic Publishing happens to publish the most desirable books on bats (in the English language) to be found anywhere!

...Ahh...I feel compelled to go on a bit of a tangent here: Okay, there was a time (long ago) when I became very keen on the subject of Falconry. In the very beginning I did have intentions of becoming fully involved with the sport. As I began to learn a lot more, about everything that is involved, etc. - My enthusiasm with respect to the actual hunting waned. 

This was not before having read several good books, and purchasing more than one (VHS tape!) on the subject. Naturally, as with all things which interest me, the tapes were from The UK.

However, studying/following the ancient history of the sport, which goes back thousands of years, is undeniably fascinating.

Since we're already off the path here, let's go just a bit further - As I'm fond of mentioning (to anyone who will listen): All of my favorite avocations happen to have a rich history (and large following) in the British isles:

• Fly fishing / Fly tying
• Birding
• Bat detecting
• Wildlife Sound Recording
• Microscopy

Okay, we will find our way out of this little rabbit hole, in just a moment...

The interesting point that I wanted to bring up, has to do with would-be/beginning falconers: Apprentice Level (where one begins).

Falconry as a sport is steeped in tradition. And by far the most important factor to establish, when considering a new member, was their commitment to this unique sport.

 

Candidates were sometimes (often) "judged" by how many books they'd read on the subject.

In other words Master Falconers, those who would take you under their wing 😀 Could potentially gauge how serious and committed you were, by how many books you owned on the subject.

 

This was a "barometer" to your level of seriousness and dedication. I also distinctly remember reading about (more than one) enthusiastic, potential falconer who owned 250 books! More than enough to secure his entry into the guild I'd say!

And I just couldn't help but think: imagine if we gauged the dedication and commitment of potential Bat Workers by how many books they owned on bats?? 

😀 I'm just trying to be funny of course!  But, if someone wanted to jump start their collection of books, on the analysis of bat calls: They would do well to buy up the collection of offerings now featured at Pelagic Publishing.

As for me...the very latest update (checking status online) is that both detectors The SSF BAT3 and The Teensybat kit/parts, are "out for delivery" today. Yay!

Very exciting news!

•Update: I'm happy to report that both detectors arrived today, as expected. Both have arrived safe and sound, without any damage...... They went through quite a lot on their journey from Europe to the US.

Next post will be some brief 1st impressions!

Until next time, Happy bat detecting!

A Quick Review of the book: 'Is That A Bat?' by Neil Middleton

Book Review: 'Is That A Bat?' by Neil Middleton

'Is That a Bat?' is a book which intrigued me since I first learned of it (probably while pursuing books on the NHBS site).

Okay, I decided to just simply google: is that a bat by Neil Middleton

Exactly as it reads above, with no capitalization, and no question mark, just to see what would happen. The 1st link listed is of the same title, from 'goodreads' where it states "5/5" (Rating).

Below that, is the link to the publisher Pelagicpublishing.com And below that, is the link to the book on amazon.

Some details:

The complete title of the book is: Is That A Bat? A Guide to Non-Bat Sounds Encountered During Bat Surveys 

It is available in paperback, or e-book (electronic) format. It was published on January 6, 2020. It is 288 pages in length, with 257 figures (illustrations), and 36 tables. 

It features 7 chapters: 3 appendices, a glossary, references, and an index.

It measures 234 x 156mm and weighs 650 grams.

I may be getting a little ahead of myself here, but this is how the table of contents reads:

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
The Sound Library
1. Well, what on earth could it be?
2. Terrestrial mammals
3. Birds
4. Amphibians
5. Insects
6. Electronic and mechanical
7. Weather, people and other nuisances
Appendix 1 Supporting figures and tables
Appendix 2 Problem solving
Appendix 3 Additional resources
Glossary
References
Index

The price varies a bit depending on where you order from, and especially which format you choose; but NHBS currently has the paperback, in stock and available for only £34.99

This book would be quite suitable for a range of readers: Anyone from a hobbyist or citizen scientist, all the way up to professional bat workers and researchers - There is something of interest for anyone who works with bat detectors.

...Now, once I got myself (an electronic) copy, and started to look through it - Wow! I realised straight away that this review might not be so quick and easy:

Not only is there a lot of great info packed into this book; but when you buy a copy, you get access to on online sound library! (via the publishers site). I had no idea, and was pleasantly surprised by this. 

Several of the first sounds & spectrograms, are presented in a quiz/self-test format. This thoughtful inclusion helps make this book a real learning experience.

The next thing that dawned on me, was this book would also be excellent for those involved in wildlife sound recording in general. Definitely a nice cross reference, which is also pleasant to read. As I continued reading, I found myself thinking about getting my own recording equipment out...I eventually did in fact!

When visiting the dealers websites, you will commonly see some sample pages of the book made available, as a preview. The Author uses graphs, and other useful illustrations. As well as some very useful spectrograms & screenshots of various recordings. These were made using Pettersson's BatSound software (from Pettersson Elektronik). 

I found the illustrations to be lovely.

What I liked: 

• A very thorough book!

• Well written, and put together in a logical progression.

• Along with it's online sound library, it is reminiscent of having a course in wildlife sound recording.

I enjoyed 'Chapter 5 Insects', the order orthoptera was discussed (which includes crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers). As a long time fan of singing insects, I liked the included oscillograms  & spectrograms. As well as the concise facts shared about each species mentioned. 

This treatment is repeated when the subject of amphibians is covered, as well as: Small and large terrestrial mammals, birds, and rodents. To a lesser extent (for obvious reasons) even 'Electronic and Mechanical' sounds are touched on in Chapter 6. Very interesting stuff!

I was also happy to see the appendices (neat stuff), and suggestions for further reading. In Appendix 3 for instance, the Author shares some very neat websites.

Considering the wide range of acoustic subjects covered: mainly the animals which are also recorded while one is focusing on bats - This book would be great for anyone venturing into the field - both figuratively and literally!

Without a doubt, anyone who intends to record bats in their natural environment, would do well with a copy of this book. You may also be interested, in seeing the assortment of books dealing with bats, currently offered by Pelagic Publishing here.

Until next time (when we'll be discussing bat detectors), 

Happy bat detecting!

Two Wonderful Bat Detectors Are On Their Way!

Just a quick post for now - I'm excited to announce that two unique bat detectors are currently on their way here!

To make it more fun, I'll only share a few clues and hints (for now): 

• They each have lovely, colour touch screen displays, featuring live spectrograms!
• One from the Netherlands, the other from Germany.
• Both from non profit entities (I had to purchase them).
• Chances are, you've never even heard of, or seen either of them.
• The one from the Netherlands, is a DIY kit which will require soldering.
• I've been wanting to get the one from Germany since at least 2019.

The DIY bat detector kit from the Netherlands, is currently out of stock - With no ETA as to when kits will be available again. So, there's no point in discussing it any further at this point in time. 

The bat detector from Germany is in stock & available for purchase. So, I'll tell you a little bit about it:

It's The SSF BAT-3 from Microelectronic Volkmann 

The very neat-looking SSF BAT3

Check out the All About Bats page - Originally in the German language; most of the related web pages are (using the Google Chrome browser provides auto-translate).

The SSF BAT3 provides live spectrograms

in a very compact size

That's it for now! Of course there will be lots more to share over the next few days!  Including more pictures, and links!

Happy bat detecting! 

Review: The Newest Echo Meter Touch 2 (Non-Pro Version) From Wildlife Acoustics

From Wildlife Acoustics 

So, here's a bat detector which needs no introduction... The Echo Meter Touch 2

Stock photo from Wildlife Acoustics website.

This is how the unit arrives, double-packed, directly from Wildlife Acoustics.

Very well protected inside the cardboard box

The Echo Meter Touch App, is what you download for free, from the Google Play site online - In order to operate the unit on your cell phone. All units manufactured after 2021, will have a USB—C connector.

It's important to keep in mind that a USB—C to Micro—USB, or Micro-USB to USB-C adapter may also be used...These are inexpensive, and readily available. Any adapter used, should conform to the On The Go specification.

The Echo Meter Touch 2 is very small and light, some would say amazingly so!

One of the reasons why I mention this specifically, is because it seems to me, to be even lighter than any of it's predecessors.

At the time of this writing, it is selling for $179 US dollars — directly from the Wildlife Acoustics website.

The echo meter touch 2 in it's protective carry pouch

(very neat!)

You will find that the echo meter touch 2 is very reasonably priced, and available from many different sellers — online. Including NHBS in the British isles; and Wildlife & Countryside Services.

It doesn't take very much practice before becoming comfortable using the echo meter touch app. You are able to easily toggle between compressed and expanded mode, using the icon on the main monitoring screen.

Remember to configure your Auto ID mode. Enter the Auto ID mode: and select from North America, Europe, United Kingdom, Neo Tropics, and a South African region (should be available in the latest version by the time you're reading this).

There is also a small manual record button — Red, and marked with an M. — which you can use to initiate a recording..... This button may be used on its own — or while triggered recording is in session... This is helpful in case the trigger misses something. You may read more about this in section 2.5 of the User Manual.

As always, I recommend reading the the freely downloadable User Manual — preferably in it's entirety!

You also have the ability to stop the recording label icon to open the notes page. Voice and text notes are saved as metadata in the recording, and they are transferred along with the recording to your PC. You can later use the search feature, to search the text of any text notes you had may have added.

The app has a limit of 10,000 recordings— after that, recordings will need to be transferred or deleted.

Another interesting feature is that in live mode, heterodyne can be tuned automatically or manually.

In GPS view: you can see the different locations, since each recording session is shown with a different path colour.... The KML file is generated and stored with the session, in the session folder.

I'm glad that you are able to adjust The Real Time Expansion on a previously made recording. 

In order to adjust pitch (1/10 is higher pitched [and the one I prefer] and 1/20 is lower pitched).

The nightly sessions mode is very neat, and behaves as a sort of unattended recording mode. Nice.

There are several methods of transferring your recordings onto a computer. You may use WiFi, a USB cable, or email. I experimented with all of them.

Part 5.2 of the user manual discusses audio specifications, of both the EM2 and the EM2 pro. Very informative, as you would expect.

You can also have a look at this page, on the Wildlife Acoustics site; which shows a neat side-by-side comparison - between The EM Touch 2 and The EM Touch 2 Pro.

The Echo Meter Touch 2 is very easy to use; and would be ideal for a beginner, or just about anyone interested in listening to, and/or recording bat calls.

And as always, I recommend the EM Touch 2 Pro to those who prefer better performance and features.

You can use The EM Touch 2 to save triggered recordings to .wav files. You may listen to the recordings, in either RTE (Real Time Expansion), HET (heterodyne), or traditional Time Expansion. In other words, while recording —Or while listening to the recorded files on your phone.

You can use the Touch, to transfer recordings to your computer. The app bundles the recordings into a zip folder, and allows downloading by entering a short URL into any web browser.

The screenshot below, shows the spectrogram of Lasionycteris noctivagans, a species of Vesper bat, here in The Northeastern United States:

 

A recording of a Silver-Haired Bat, made with The EM Touch 2

Viewed using Kaleidoscope, and Zoomed-in on a bit.

Pros:

* Price: Reasonably affordable, considering what you get (providing that you already have an Android cell phone).

* Easy to use, with a lot of features - not the least of which is Auto ID.

* Lightweight and robust.

Cons:

* Speed and responsiveness are directly related to the speed and responsiveness of your cell phone (new, fast phone = fast bat detector).

* Audio output isn't very loud. On the late model Samsung cell phone I used, I found myself wishing it was much louder.

So, the other minor Con, would be that it's no longer manufactured for use on any Apple devices.

Note: When rushing out to detect bats using the default settings (presuming you're recording bats in rainy conditions - from a dry refuge!): You will hear light rain / raindrops being registered. 

This may be remedied by making adjustments in the frequency response parameters - Basically the "window" of frequencies you allow the unit to record - An incentive to become familiar with the customization's The Touch is capable of; as well as The User Manual in general.

Which all serves to help you get the most out of The Echo Meter Touch 2.

This pretty much sums up The echo meter touch 2 (non pro edition). I plan to add some more info to this review in the near future; along with some recordings, et cetera.

Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics for providing the unit for review! The EM Touch 2 has been sent to The BatAbility Club (in Scotland) - Where it will be featured in an upcoming free giveaway—For BatAbility Club members!

Until next time, Happy bat detecting!

Random Thought for July

I'm running a bit behind schedule with these random, Random Thoughts Posts...

I'm just going to skip June - So here's July's Random Thought:

Can your favourite hobby stand-up against occasional set-backs? Can your chosen hobby withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?

What about disappointment after disappointment?

Well, I actually went through some similar situations, to those I've alluded to above... However, my bat detecting wasn't the hobby! In fact, while on the subject, I should point out that my love of bat detecting has been put to the test (over the past 12 years) ...and has obviously survived unscathed. 

No, in my situation, the hobby whose feet were held to the fire was Amateur Astronomy.

Spoiler alert: My astronomy hobby didn't "survive".

I'll make a long story short - I was on the precipice of really taking the plunge into visual astronomy/observing (and pencil sketching Deep Sky Objects) again. 

I was making preparations for many weeks. I was slated to receive not 1, but 4 vintage telescopes: A dream come true for many amateur astronomers any way you slice it. These weren't just old telescopes, but models which are much-sought-after. In addition: I was getting these telescopes for a very modest cost, they had each been meticulously restored & cared for, and were owned by someone who wasn't only a expert astronomer, but a bona fide Scientist (he was also a very nice guy).

I was obviously very excited about receiving these instruments; and made plans for where each would reside, when & where they'd be used, etc. I was doing more than just counting the chickens before they hatched...I was organizing them as well.

Unfortunately, with the passage of time, small "hiccups" in the logistics of the situation ensued: Some expected (inclement weather), some unexpected... And as these obstacles waxed and waned, my interest and dedication to the hobby itself simply waned. In fact, it gradually waned until I'd lost not only hope, but just about all of my interest in the hobby altogether. It just happened.

So I eventually ceased my (formally incessant) pursuit of acquiring these instruments. And declined the offer to go through with the purchase/acquisition of the telescopes.

All-in-all it seemed to me, to be an interesting chain of events. For instance, there were many ways to look at the situation. As well as other options available to me... For example, I could've simply purchased a modest, brand-new telescope. Although the choices/selection were very dismal at that point - due to the trucking/shipping shortage in The USA at that particular time.

The take away from all this, is that I reached a point where I was done with it. I'd gone from the very lofty heights of excitement, joy and expectation, to the very dismal lows of losing hope. I found myself not wanting to be involved (or active) in this particular hobby any longer.

One of the odd things about it, is that I couldn't foresee this happening. I was fortunate enough to have the space to safely house the telescopes; and the great fortune of dark skies. Yet it happened anyway. 

In some strange way, I may be glad that it happened. Going through this ordeal of highs & lows, frustration, etc., literally forced me to reassess the importance/value which that pastime represented to me. It forced me to seriously asses the situation, and cut my losses. 

Bat Detecting Forever!

The next review here, will be of the very latest Echo Meter Touch 2 (with USB-C connector) from Wildlife Acoustics. 

Happy bat detecting!

The Newest Echo Meter Touch 2

The very latest version of the echo meter touch 2 (from Wildlife Acoustics) has arrived.

This will be the version of the EM Touch 2 going forward (with USB-C connector).

I will be discussing this new unit, during a webinar on July 25th, on BatAbility Club, with Neil Middleton.

Happy bat detecting!