For upcoming events, please click on the “Member Events and Activities” tab above, or click here.
Bat Box Check
This event is now full.
When: Saturday 11th October 2025 evening
Where: Addington Hills, nr Croydon
Steven Lofting is kindly offering a limited number of spaces for LBG members on this bat box check on a first come first served basis. You will need to be up-to-date with rabies jabs to handle the bats.
Bat Transect survey
When: Thursday 9th October 2025 evening
Where: London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London SW13 9WT
Since 1996 monthly bat transect surveys have been carried out at WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes (SW13) from March to October. Here’s a paper publishing trends from these surveys.
We split into two groups to walk two transect simultaneously, taking about one hour. One of the transects is all on even ground along footpaths, the other involves climbing over a gate, walking up/down slopes and along muddy/very uneven paths. You can choose which route you prefer. No previous experience needed and bat detectors will be provided (though bring your own if you have one).
If you would like to come along and help, please check your groups.io email for details on meeting point and time, and how to sign up.
Bat Walk and Social
When: Saturday 20th September 2025 evening
Where: Serpentine, Hyde Park
A 40-60 minute walk around the Serpentine with bat detectors, followed by a social catchup at the Swan pub!
Bat Box Check
When: Saturday 11th October 2025 evening
Where: Sydenham Hill Wood, nr Streatham
Steven Lofting is kindly offering a limited number of spaces for LBG members on this bat box check on a first come first served basis. You will need to be up-to-date with rabies jabs to handle the bats.
Bat Transect survey
When: Wednesday 10th September 2025 evening (rescheduled due to weather to 17th September)
Where: London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London SW13 9WT
Since 1996 monthly bat transect surveys have been carried out at WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes (SW13) from March to October. Here’s a paper publishing trends from these surveys.
We split into two groups to walk two transect simultaneously, taking about one hour. One of the transects is all on even ground along footpaths, the other involves climbing over a gate, walking up/down slopes and along muddy/very uneven paths.
Bat Box Check
When: Wednesday 27th August 2025
Where: Stockers Lake, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire / London border
Patty Briggs is kindly again offering three spaces for LBG members on this bat box check at Stockers Lake. It is first come first served but there will be a reserve list if you don’t make the main list. You will need to be up-to-date with rabies jabs to handle the bats.
Bat Transect survey
When: Tuesday 26th August 2025 evening
Where: River Thames, Ham/Teddington Lock
LBG Chair Philip Briggs surveys several sites as part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme Waterway Survey and needs survey assistants! No previous experience needed and bat detectors can be provided.
The survey involves walking a 1km route along a waterway, with ten stopping points where we stop for four minutes to listen/look out for Daubenton’s bats (other species will be heard too, but the survey focuses on monitoring Daubenton’s bats).
Bat Transect survey
When: Wednesday 20th August 2025 evening
Where: Beverley Brook, Richmond Park/Palewell Park
LBG Chair Philip Briggs surveys several sites as part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme Waterway Survey and needs survey assistants! No previous experience needed and bat detectors can be provided.
The survey involves walking a 1km route along a waterway, with ten stopping points where we stop for four minutes to listen/look out for Daubenton’s bats (other species will be heard too, but the survey focuses on monitoring Daubenton’s bats).
Bat Transect survey
When: Tuesday 19th August 2025 evening
Where: River Longford, Bushy Park
LBG Chair Philip Briggs surveys several sites as part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme Waterway Survey and needs survey assistants! No previous experience needed and bat detectors can be provided.
The survey involves walking a 1km route along a waterway, with ten stopping points where we stop for four minutes to listen/look out for Daubenton’s bats (other species will be heard too, but the survey focuses on monitoring Daubenton’s bats).
Bat Transect survey
When: Tuesday 12th August 2025 evening
Where: London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London SW13 9WT
Since 1996 monthly bat transect surveys have been carried out at WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes (SW13) from March to October. Here’s a paper publishing trends from these surveys.
We split into two groups to walk two transect simultaneously, taking about one hour. One of the transects is all on even ground along footpaths, the other involves climbing over a gate, walking up/down slopes and along muddy/very uneven paths.
Bat Transect survey
When: Tuesday 12th August 2025 evening
Where: London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London SW13 9WT
Since 1996 monthly bat transect surveys have been carried out at WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes (SW13) from March to October. Here’s a paper publishing trends from these surveys.
We split into two groups to walk two transect simultaneously, taking about one hour. One of the transects is all on even ground along footpaths, the other involves climbing over a gate, walking up/down slopes and along muddy/very uneven paths.
Bat Transect survey
When: Friday 8th August 2025 evening
Where: River Thames, Ham/Teddington Lock
LBG Chair Philip Briggs surveys several sites as part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme Waterway Survey and needs survey assistants! No previous experience needed and bat detectors can be provided.
The survey involves walking a 1km route along a waterway, with ten stopping points where we stop for four minutes to listen/look out for Daubenton’s bats (other species will be heard too, but the survey focuses on monitoring Daubenton’s bats).
Bat Transect survey
When: Thursday 7th August 2025 evening
Where: Beverley Brook, Richmond Park/Palewell Park
LBG Chair Philip Briggs surveys several sites as part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme Waterway Survey and needs survey assistants! No previous experience needed and bat detectors can be provided.
The survey involves walking a 1km route along a waterway, with ten stopping points where we stop for four minutes to listen/look out for Daubenton’s bats (other species will be heard too, but the survey focuses on monitoring Daubenton’s bats).
Bat Transect survey
When: Wednesday 6th August 2025 evening
Where: River Longford, Bushy Park
LBG Chair Philip Briggs surveys several sites as part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme Waterway Survey and needs survey assistants! No previous experience needed and bat detectors can be provided.
The survey involves walking a 1km route along a waterway, with ten stopping points where we stop for four minutes to listen/look out for Daubenton’s bats (other species will be heard too, but the survey focuses on monitoring Daubenton’s bats).
Bat Transect survey
When: Monday 4th August 2025 evening
Where: River Thames, Richmond alongside Old Deer Park
LBG Chair Philip Briggs surveys several sites as part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme Waterway Survey and needs survey assistants! No previous experience needed and bat detectors can be provided.
The survey involves walking a 1km route along a waterway, with ten stopping points where we stop for four minutes to listen/look out for Daubenton’s bats (other species will be heard too, but the survey focuses on monitoring Daubenton’s bats).
London Bat Group stand at Silwood Park Birds, Bugs and Beasts Day
When: Tuesday 29th July 2025 from noon to 5pm
Where: Silwood Park, Ascot
For the third year running LBG is going to have a stand at Imperial College’s Ascot campus Birds, Bugs and Beasts Day, where LBG members currently study. The day is an outdoor celebration of the natural world organised by Imperial, packed with exciting activities and discoveries. Everyone is welcome!
Visitors get hands-on with nature through interactive activities and fascinating facts—all delivered by the scientists and students who study and work at our Silwood Park campus in beautiful Ascot.
Bats and Beavers
When: Monday 21st July 2025 evening
Where: Ealing
Did you know that studies show that the reintroduction of beavers has led to increased bat activity? Join Elliot Newton and London Bat Group as we visit Paradise Fields, the home of the Ealing Beaver Project. Tickets available on Eventbrite.
Bat Transect survey
When: Thursday 17th July 2025 evening
Where: London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London SW13 9WT
Since 1996 monthly bat transect surveys have been carried out at WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes (SW13) from March to October. Here’s a paper publishing trends from these surveys.
We split into two groups to walk two transect simultaneously, taking about one hour. One of the transects is all on even ground along footpaths, the other involves climbing over a gate, walking up/down slopes and along muddy/very uneven paths. You can choose which route you prefer. No previous experience needed and bat detectors will be provided (though bring your own if you have one).
If you would like to come along and help, please check your groups.io email for details on meeting point and time, and how to sign up.
Bat Transect survey
When: Wednesday 18th June 2025 evening
Where: London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London SW13 9WT
Since 1996 monthly bat transect surveys have been carried out at WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes (SW13) from March to October. Here’s a paper publishing trends from these surveys.
We split into two groups to walk two transect simultaneously, taking about one hour. One of the transects is all on even ground along footpaths, the other involves climbing over a gate, walking up/down slopes and along muddy/very uneven paths. You can choose which route you prefer. No previous experience needed and bat detectors will be provided (though bring your own if you have one).
If you would like to come along and help, please check your groups.io email for details on meeting point and time, and how to sign up.
Bat Acoustic survey set up
When: Monday 16th June 2025 afternoon
Where: Epping Forest
LBG is in discussion with ecologists at Epping Forest about carrying out bat monitoring and surveys at the site, particularly focussing on the parts of the forest that are within the Greater London boundary, partly because this is more relevant to LBG but also because there is a need for more information about bats in this part of the site.
We are planning to establish some trapping work in the near future, hopefully next year, and will share more information about opportunities to get involved as things crystalise. It’s an important site for bats, including the rare barbastelle bat which in Greater London is only known from a few sites on the edge of the region.
In the meantime we will be doing some passive acoustic monitoring, collecting recordings from a few different locations around Hatch Forest, part of Epping Forest that falls within the Greater London boundary. This will present an opportunity for LBG members to get some training and experience in acoustic analysis to help process the data collected from this project. More details will follow soon.
This visit will be to meet with the ecologists and do a recce of Hatch Forest and identify suitable locations for putting out the detectors. It’s possible we will be putting out the detectors on that afternoon. If anyone would like to come along and assist/observe, check your groups.io email for details on meeting point and time, and how to sign up. One thing we’re lacking is a ladder so if anyone can drive there and bring a ladder that would be really helpful! We probably don’t want too many people coming along on Monday so it might need to be first come first served if there is a lot of interest, though anyone who can bring a ladder will get priority!
BCT’s National Bat Monitoring Programme Workshop
When: Saturday 31st May 2025, evening
Where: Waltham Abbey, Essex
Eight Free places for LBG members!
BCT’s National Bat Monitoring Programme is running a bat detector workshop in Waltham Abbey (in Essex but just outside the boundary of London) on Saturday 31st May.
Develop your bat identification skills and learn how to understand bat sounds at a National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) ‘Using Your Ears’ workshop! Attending this workshop will you give you the skills and confidence needed to take part in surveys for the NBMP. These surveys help us to monitor how bats are faring across the UK and provide vital information to help inform bat conservation, so they’re a great way to get involved and help bats! The workshop will involve an evening classroom session, followed by a practical field session.
Bat Transect survey
When: Tuesday 20th May evening
Where: London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London SW13 9WT
Since 1996 monthly bat transect surveys have been carried out at WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes (SW13) from March to October. Here’s a paper publishing trends from these surveys.
We split into two groups to walk two transect simultaneously, taking about one hour. One of the transects is all on even ground along footpaths, the other involves climbing over a gate, walking up/down slopes and along muddy/very uneven paths. You can choose which route you prefer. No previous experience needed and bat detectors will be provided (though bring your own if you have one).
London Bat Group stand at Wandsworth Park Eco Fair
When: Saturday 10th May 2025
Where: Wandsworth Park
For the second year running LBG had a stand at the Wandsworth Park Eco Fair, where LBG members talked to interested members of the public about the group, handed out leaflets on how to get involved, and challenged children to a game of identifying bat myths and truths!
Bat Walk and Social
When: Friday 9th May 2025 evening
Where: Hawkwood Nursery, E4
The event was organised with OrganicLea – a workers cooperative growing food on London’s edge in the Lea Valley, with beer (brewed on site!) and clay oven pizza for sale, all kindly provided by OrganicLea.
Bat Box Check
When: Friday 9th May 2025
Where: Stockers Lake, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire / London border
A bat box check at Stockers Lake was carried out with Patty Briggs. Unfortunately on this occasion hornets and blue tits were making homes in many of the boxes!
Bat Transect Survey
When: Tuesday 22nd April 2025 evening
Where: London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London SW13 9WT
Since 1996 monthly bat transect surveys have been carried out at WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes (SW13) from March to October. We split into two groups to walk two transect simultaneously, taking about one hour.
Bat Box Check
When: Wednesday 16th April 2025
Where: Springwell Lake, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire / London border
A bat box check at Springwell Lake was carried out with Patty Briggs.
Bat Box Check
When: Thursday 10th April 2025
Where: Beckenham Palace Park
A bat box check was carried out with Steven Lofting.
Bat Box Check
When: Wednesday 9th April 2025
Where: Sydenham Hill Woods, Dulwich
A spring bat box check was carried out with Steven Lofting.
Bat Box Check
When: Saturday 5th April 2025
Where: Addington Hills, Croydon
A spring bat box check at Addington Hills was carried out with Cecilia Montauban, Becky Wilson and Steven Lofting.
London Bat Group Training Taster Session
When: Saturday 15th March 2025
Where: Online
An event with talks on different aspects of bat work was held online on Saturday 15th March from 10am-1pm.
The talks were as follows:
Magda Howitt – Introduction to London Bat Group
Tim Bradford – Introduction to Natural England’s Volunteer Roost Visitor service
Natalie and Elliot Newton – Introduction to bat care
Philip Briggs – Introduction to the National Bat Monitoring Scheme and sound analysis
John Tovey – Introduction on licensing
Cecilia Montauban – Advanced survey techniques
Please check your groups.io emails for a recording of the session if you missed it.
Hibernation Roost Check
When: Sunday 16th February 2025
Where: Highgate Tunnels, Haringey
A survey of the Highgate Tunnels was carried out with Cindy Blaney.
Hibernation Roost Check
When: Sunday 19th January 2025
Where: Highgate Tunnels, Haringey
A survey of the Highgate Tunnels was carried out with Cindy Blaney.
Hibernation Roost Check
When: Sunday 22nd December 2024
Where: Highgate Tunnels, Haringey
A survey of the Highgate Tunnels was carried out with Cindy Blaney.
Online talk: 20 years of bat surveys at the London Wetland Centre – Insights and Implications for Conservation
When: Thursday 24th of October 2024 at 7pm on Zoom
Magda Howitt talks about bat monitoring at the London Wetland Centre (LWC) over the past two decades and how it has provided invaluable insights into the diversity and distribution of bat species in urban environments. Our results highlight the LWC’s significance as a habitat for several bat species, notably the soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus), Leisler’s bat (Nyctalus leisleri), and Nathusius’ pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii). However, the elusive presence of the brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) and Natterer’s bat (Myotis nattereri) in the Greater London area, despite their absence at the LWC, underscores the complexity of species-site relationships.
These findings suggest that not all bat species readily adapt to every habitat, even when a diverse range of habitats is available. Nonetheless, surveys at the LWC consistently demonstrate its importance as a vital resource for many of London’s bat species. This continuity emphasises the site’s significance for bat conservation efforts over the long term.
Furthermore, as part of our conservation efforts, we have initiated engaging bat walks at our reserve & zoological site after hours. These walks not only serve as educational opportunities for visitors but also contribute to citizen science initiatives, fostering public awareness and involvement in bat conservation. In conclusion, the two decades of bat monitoring at the LWC have provided valuable insights into urban bat ecology and conservation. Our findings emphasize the importance of long-term monitoring efforts and proactive conservation strategies to safeguard urban bat populations and their habitats.
Online talk: Nightsniffing
When: Thursday, 12th of September at 7pm
For this talk, Cliff Hammet will cover his Nightsniffing project, an artistic research project that reimagines public bat walking as a method to collectively investigate changing city landscapes and the systems that underlie them. The project commenced with investigations of people’s experience of bat detection walks and surveys, and of city-wide planning databases. Building on these, Cliff developed a geolocative contraption called a ‘datasniffer’ that hinted at how the area had and will change. This was used to stage special bat walks that combined bat detection with datasniffing to enable different conversations regarding who and what cities are for, and how we might wish for them to function differently. The talk engages with questions of how art and technology might contribute to public awareness and engagement with bats, including the systems and policies that might care for, disrupt or harm them.
Online talk: Bats of Sutton and Croydon
When: 25th of March 2024, at 7pm – 8.30pm on Zoom
In this talk Derek Coleman will delve into several topics including the Serotines of Sutton, the longest recorded Soprano roost in London, NBMP Waterway bat surveys on the River Wandle, and Addington Hills bat box inspections.
Online talk: The Diversity of bats – an exploration of form and function
When: Tuesday 4th July 2023, 7pm-8pm on Zoom
Talk by Abby Packham from the Bat Conservation Trust. Bats are a truly ancient lineage of mammals. All bats share the basic mammalian body plan, plus wings for flight and a nocturnal lifestyle but the variation around these common traits amongst species is tremendous. From solitary tree dwelling bat species to cave roosting species that form colonies of millions of individuals. From species that share our homes to burrow dwelling species and those that share the homes of other animals. From nectar feeding to frog eating, from blood drinking to moth munching, bats feed on a wider range of food than any other mammalian order. This talk explores the diversity of bat form and function with examples from a few the world’s 1400+ species.
Online talk: Studying bats using eDNA
When: Tuesday 6th June 2023, 7pm-8pm on Zoom
Dr Joanne Littlefair, Lecturer in Biological Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, will be giving a talk on the fascinating subject of eDNA, collecting airborne DNA to identify species present in a location and developments in using this approach to study bats.
London Bat Group 