Out on the Night Shift: Sonia Joins Frome’s Bat Count
- Daisy Steel
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
There’s something quietly magical about watching a town come alive after dark. While most of us are settling in for the evening, Frome’s wildlife is just getting started. And on one warm night in September, Sonia headed out with a head torch, a bat detector, and a gaggle of locals to take part in one of Somerset’s most important biodiversity checks: the Frome Bat Count. Listen to the full interview here.
A Snapshot of Nature on Our Doorstep
This event is part science project, part community adventure. The aim is simple: monitor the bat population that flits around our hedgerows, rivers, rooftops, and parks. Bats are a key indicator species - their presence tells us how healthy our environment really is. And in a town so proud of its green spaces, it matters.
Bookings for this year’s survey filled up in record time, with eleven teams and around sixty people heading out across the area armed with bat detectors and enthusiasm. For many, it was their first time listening to bats’ secret world of sound.
Meeting the Expert: Andy Avery
Sonia teamed up with Andy Avery, treasurer of the Somerset Bat Group, who has the calm patience of someone who has spent many nights standing in fields explaining the invisible. He demonstrated how his handheld bat detector picks up frequencies far beyond human hearing and transforms them into audible clicks and swoops. Even better, it displays frequency patterns on a screen, helping the group identify species in real time.
Who’s Flying Over Frome?
The stars of the night were the pipistrelles, the smallest and most common bats in the area. Two species in particular dominate Frome’s night sky:
Common pipistrelle
Soprano pipistrelle, which calls at a slightly higher pitch
Between the flickering streetlights and the River Frome’s edge, they appeared frequently on the detector’s display, their readings showing tiny dips and peaks as they swooped for midges.
But the group learned that the area also hosts rarer species. The greater horseshoe bat, with only around eight to twelve thousand individuals left in the entire country, still clings on in parts of Somerset. Their presence is always a reason to celebrate.
A Glimpse Into Bat Life
As the group chatted, Andy explained how unusual bat biology really is. Unlike many mammals, bats mate in autumn, but the female decides in spring whether or not to become pregnant. Mothers then raise their pups in nursery roosts and return from their night flights to find them tucked in and waiting. Males, meanwhile, only intersect with females during that brief autumn window.
Little wonder these animals remain so endlessly fascinating.
Community Science at Its Best
For Sonia’s group, the evening wasn’t just about data collection. Jess, Simon, and the others taking part spoke about how satisfying it felt to contribute to something meaningful. For many, hearing and identifying their first bat species was a moment of genuine excitement.
Back in the lab, the bat sound recordings will be analysed in more detail. Hidden in those blips and patterns are clues to species such as noctules, Daubenton’s bats skimming the river, and even the occasional lysosome bat. Some sightings don’t yet appear on the official map, making each recording a potential new piece of the puzzle.
Why It Matters
Events like this aren’t just about the thrill of discovery. They’re part of a bigger picture: tracking biodiversity, spotting population changes, and protecting species that quietly keep ecosystems going. The bat count brings people together, builds knowledge, and shines a light on the wildlife sharing our town.
Frome comes alive in all sorts of ways, but on this night, it was the flutter of tiny wings that took centre stage.
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