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!

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!

Book Review: British Bat Calls A Guide to Species Identification by Jon Russ

A brief Book Review - 'British Bat Calls: A Guide to Species Identification' By Jon Russ

Once again, I'll state that: One does not need to be a resident of Britain, in order to appreciate and use this book. Which is the reason why I ordered a copy for myself.
Although I live in the US, after some shopping around online, I decided to order my copy from NHBS. Unlike some online-shops in the US, they had new copies in stock, ready for shipping. And the price was reasonable (£29.99 | $46/€35 approx.)



Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

I very quickly read through the first few pages. Followed by the Acknowledgments. And was utterly relieved to find that there were no references to any of the egocentric, stingy, American companies. Ahhh! What a relief! The same was true for the Preface section! And, I did read through it more slowly and carefully. Yay! I was so happy to learn that I could now proceed, free & clear.

I'll state right up front, that I found this book wonderful and refreshing. And, it has required quite a bit of effort on my part, to keep this review brief! This review could have easily ended up being four pages in length. I try to keep all of my book reviews brief.

Next up, was Chapter 1 - Introduction.
Among other topics, this chapter provides a short explanation of the discovery and history of bat echolocation.

Chapter 2 - Bats and sound
Provided very useful, and easy to understand descriptions of the properties of sound. The Author did a wonderful job of clearly explaining the various facets of sound, along with the "how's and why's"of bat calls.

Chapter 3 - Equipment
This section covered the subject of bat detectors :) And succinctly explained just about everything you'd want to know about them. Several other topics were related, including the various methods of recording bat calls.

Chapter 4 - Call analysis
How to use and understand sound analysis software. Very informative coverage of this topic, discussed in several parts. This chapter alone, is worth the price of admission.

{I know that it may be an old adage, but I enjoy this book more with each chapter I read}

Chapters 5 and 6 - Species echolocation guide and Species identification
These particular chapters may not be very useful to me (since I live in the US), but the information they contain - On each species covered, is simply amazing. Chapter 6 alone, makes this book a must have for any bat enthusiast residing in the UK.

It's safe to say, that I own many books on the subject of Bats. And, I'm also planning to review a few of them here soon. I can state here and now, (with certainty) that this book surpasses the others on it's overall (up-to-date) content, and execution.
In conclusion, the book is very well laid-out. It's very informative, and a fantastic reference, to re-visit again and again! ...Now if only a bat expert from the US (of Jon Russ' caliber) would publish a book similar to it (for North American species)...And soon! I'd be very happy!

Happy bat detecting!