Baker Consultants Ltd

As well as testing the SM2 in the field, Baker Consultants has this week returned from a lab testing session with Dr Fiona Mathews, lecturer in mammalian biology at Exeter University.

To bench mark the detectors we tested them using an ultra sound generator, broadcasting a range of pre-recorded calls, fixed frequency calibration tests at a number of different volumes, frequency sweeps at increasing distances and angles from the detectors.

Four Anabats, three SM2s and two Duets were used for the experiments.

We will be publishing the full results after the UK national bat conference in September and further testing is to be undertaken during the winter months to validate these original tests.

Fiona is at the international bat conference in Prague this week, Paul will be presenting at the BCT conference at Loughborough in September with our full test results (although last time we checked the organisers were trying to find us a bigger room!).

If you're a friend of Baker Consultants, you should by now have been invited to our open day on Thursday 16th September (4-8pm). The timing is designed to fit in with the Derby trains (connecting to London and the rest of the country), so let the train take the strain and have a trip out!

It will be an informal affair, largely consisting of a snoop around our patch, afternoon tea, a sneak preview of the new bat detector we're field testing from Paul, and a bat walk along Cromford Canal with Kelly.

Oh yes, and our man we call the Big Cheese (boss - Andrew/Fred Baker) will give you a quick update on the business, the highs and lows of the ecology world and expected developments for 2011.

If you'd like to come along but haven't yet let us know please email: s.johnston@bakerconsultants.co.uk or give us a call on 0114 360 2969.

Is it possible that there could be a user friendly, waterproof, effective and affordable remote monitoring device? We're hoping so.

We're currently field testing a new product alongside the better known Anabat to determine if there is something on the market that will better meet the needs of the English weather and provide us with reliable data on bats.

We'll be looking at the quality of the data, how it is stored, how user friendly is the analysis software, and whether its pedigree in the ornithological world will translate into being a piece of quality kit in the bat world.

Watch this space for our findings, or book your place on our workshop at the National Bat Conference in September to hear the full story.

It’s the silly season; dusk and dawn surveys, torchlight surveys of ponds, and bottle trapping. Some would say that this is why we do the job, being out in the field, seeing amazing sunrises, and beautiful landscapes. We say that too!

In May and June, Baker Consultants ecologists have conducted 63 site surveys.

The sleep deprivation is compensated by the wide range of interesting projects that we now have underway. Even after a crazy May and June, we still want to work with each other, and love coming back to our quirky station office to spot trains (Paul!).

We’ll try to keep you all updated with any exciting finds or developments and when things calm down a bit, we might just publish our list of favoured eating and drinking establishments for ecologists too!

If you want to contact one of us try the skype number 0114 360 2969 or drop us an email.