A Post to Accompany Today's Live Webinar On The BatAbility Club

An Addendum Post - To Accompany Today's Live Webinar On BatAbility Club (on The Microscopy of Pond Water).

April 8th 2023

Below, are some of what I consider the “better” Links…

Micscape Magazine (microscopy-uk.org) is a virtual online “Headquarters” for all things microscope-related in The UK. It provides very well-organized resources for learning more about the world of microscopy - I can’t recommend it enough!

Here is a wonderful online document; which basically provides a concise education on microscopic organisms. Along with their place (and our place) in the grand scheme of things, all in just 31 pages!

Here's a Link with lots of great information available - Including a Microscopy Primer, the anatomy of a microscope, and other topics.

Even more detailed information, and especially brand/model-specific info, may be found at the major microscope manufacturers’ sites. They are: Olympus, Nikon, Zeiss, and Leica/Leitz. They’re often referred to as "The big four". 

A Link from Nikon.

A Link from Zeiss.

A Link from Olympus. 

Below are some direct links, to the various types of microscopes I discussed - From none other than one of my favourite online stores - NHBS! As I suppose is the case with many of you (Naturalists, Biologists, Scientists, et al) I feel like "a kid in a candy store" whenever I visit NHBS... Now, if someone would be kind enough to send me a Gift Certificate... 😁

Stereo Microscope:

Binocular Compound Microscope:

In an effort to demonstrate the variety of colours one may come across - Some pond water organisms I've recorded in years past - YouTube Videos:

Protist 1

Protist 2 

There are more! Located in a Playlist named 'Microscopy - Pond Water Samples'

The (free) User Manual for The Nikon Labophot microscope (the one I currently use).

A YouTube video discussing a DIY, cell phone-based solution, for those wanting to see fluorescence microscopy. It's a fairly recent video, posted only 4 months ago.

Now, if you've made it all the way through this post, to this point - You deserve to see the following incredible videos - You've "earned" it! 

Here's a link to a very comprehensive, but entertaining YouTube video, which basically goes through almost all of the microscopic creatures you'd encounter, while examining pond water samples.

It would take years of exploring, to see the diversity of creatures shown in this video. Not only are almost all of the most commonly encountered creatures covered; but they are shown using many different microscope techniques:

• Brightfield
• Polarization
• Phase Contrast
• Fluorescence
• DIC (Dual Interference Contrast) - An expensive technology!

I plan to add more excellent links to this post soon!

I'm very keen on Microscopy, and I have no shortage of things to share...

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting! Pond dipping!

The Next Book To Be Reviewed: ‘Sound Identification Of Terrestrial Mammals Of Britain & Ireland’

The Spring of 2024 is here, and it’s associated weather is fast approaching.

I’m sorry to report that there really aren’t any new bat detectors, to test & review for the BatAbility Club (followed by a detailed /written review here on the blog).

The upcoming live webinar/presentation, for BatAbility Club Members on April 8th will basically be everything you’ve always wanted to know about examining pond water with a microscope! It will very likely cover several related topics as well.

The next book to be reviewed here is: ‘Sound Identification Of Terrestrial Mammals Of Britain & Ireland’ by 

Neil Middleton 

Stuart Nelson

Huma Pearce 

What do you do when you first pick up a book? 

The majority of you, will open it up to the table of contents - so far, so good, nothing strange there. 

I’ll tell you what I do. I go to the table of contents, scan through and pick out whichever chapters appeal to me most…

I make a mental note of the page numbers, and check out each of them in order. 

When I picked up this book, I made a mental note of page 13, and page 295. 

Survey Equipment & Field Techniques   Page 13

Insectivores - Hedgehogs, Moles & Shrews   Page 295

And those chapters did not disappoint!

Why those chapters? Easy: I love Tech, gadgets, and field recording techniques!

And, I’m very keen on Moles and Shrews!

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting Mammal recording!

P.S. If you are manufacturer of microphones + parabolic dishes, and would like to have your equipment reviewed (in June/July) - Contact me.

Review: The Ranger - From Titley Scientific

The Ranger is a brand, new, cutting edge, wildlife recorder, which has just been released from Titley Scientific.

Building upon the success of their Chorus and AnaBat Swift Titley has developed a fully customizable, long-lasting, wildlife recorder.

Photo credit: Titley Scientific

It features:

• Three microphone ports.
• The ability to choose from a wide range of microphones.
• With Titley‘s currently available microphones, many different combinations are possible.

The Quick Start User Guide.

Two audible microphones, and one omnidirectional Ultrasonic microphone.

A quick peek at the Titley ranger powered on.

The Ranger’s main specifications are as follows:

• Physical size: 194 x 123 x 50mm (7.64 x 4.84 x 1.97 inches).
• Weight: 478 Grams (16.86oz.) without batteries.
• it may be powered by: 4 or 8 AA size batteries, external power sources, or solar (optional kit available).
• Sample rates: 500, 384, 320, 192, 96, 48, 44.1, 32, 24, or 22.0 5 Ksps.
• Frequency range: 20Hz to 250kHz.
• 2 SD cards supported (up to 1TB each)
• GPS - The Ranger performs daily fixes, and supports GPS enabled transect mode.
• 3 Channels: 1 Front mounted, ultrasonic or acoustic, two sides (acoustic only). simultaneous recording.
• Headphone jack for FD output (ultrasound) and stereo acoustic.
• File Output: Full spectrum (wav), ZC, GPS (.gpx), Temperature (.csv).

The Ranger unattended bat/wildlife sound recorder, has the ability to use many different microphones. Among the commonly selected options are:

• Low-profile, side-mount, audible microphone product code: AAAB028 current price $99 US 
• *Remember to always check Titley’s website for prices*
• Omni directional acoustic microphone AS-0 product code: AAB016 V1 $225 US
• Directional Ultrasonic microphone US-D product code: AAAB013 V1 current price $325 US 
• Omni-Directional Ultrasonic Microphone US-O V3 product code: AAA012 V3 current price $199 US

The Ranger arrived to me, here in New York (from the headquarters in Australia) in a heavy-duty, black plastic bag with embedded bubble wrap:

And inside of that black package…

And finally upon opening the box:

Remember that your (chosen) microphones are under the cardboard flaps.

Additional specifications: 

• Housed in a camouflage, weatherproof/shockproof (IP67) with tripod mounting hole.
• 2.4 inch color LCD touchscreen display.
• Warranty: Recorder 2 years, Microphones 1 year.
• Lockable security box, microphone, extension cables, power lead, and solar panel Kit are all available options.

Some additional items of interest include:

• The microphones are indeed “weatherproof, and highly sensitive”.
• When testing the headphone jack, with default settings, the output was very sensitive and accurate. As sensitive as any microphone I’ve ever tested.
• Batteries are stated to last 100 nights (ultrasonic) or 700 hours acoustic (depending on temperatures).
• The Ranger may be configured as: mono or stereo – acoustic, as well as Ultrasonic – simultaneously.

The new Ranger, deployed on carbon fiber tripod (on my deck).

The resulting recordings (Northern Barred Owls & Coyotes, will be featured on my YouTube Channel soon...

Here's an unboxing video:

Additional accessories available, include:

• Chorus and Ranger security box and cable lock product code: AAAB032 $145 US *Please remember to check the Titley website for current prices*
• Solar panel kit for the Ranger (is provided with everything needed). Solar Panel for Ranger or Swift product code: AAA034 $120 US
• Ranger accessories bundle: case, microphone cable, and USB cable product code: AAAB035 current price $70 US

Quick Start User Guide:

• Informs you of AnaBat Insight software (With QR code).
• Refers you to the user manual (via QR code).
• Firmware updates, Titley website, AnaBat user community, and YouTube channel are all provided via QR code squares.
• Microphone care guide.
• How to start recording with your Ranger.
• Inserting microphones.
• Selecting, recording mode: a.) custom, b.) day only, c.) dusk and dawn, d.) Night only, e.) continuous
• Select microphone settings.
• Information about GPS.
• Final checks, etc.
• Testing/ensuring all is OK using the magnet on lanyard.

On the subject of batteries…

• I installed the Duracell optimum batteries to start with. They only lasted about one full overnight session.
• The energizer batteries, I replace them with fared much better: providing several nights of recording.
• Those were replaced with Kodak brand AA batteries.

This was definitely a case for eneloop brand batteries. And I promptly ordered some.

The Ranger creates several file folders by default, whenever it records. These are Recordings – main folder/root, which then contains three subfolders: Acoustic, FS Ultrasonic, Simultaneous. This turned out to be very convenient in practice. 

The latest firmware adds, a host of brand new features!

Things I like - Generally speaking:

• The features it has.
• The fact that it can use 2 audible and 1 ultrasound microphone simultaneously.
• It’s robust design (similar to previous models).
• The ease of deployment – easy to choose/preset mode selection.

Detailed Battery status 

One of my local bats, just having a snack...

Having a look at a Ranger FS recording (just a peek at the spectrogram) with AnaBat Insight software.

Amoung some of the interesting, and/or unique features of this new unit, are things like:

• The ability to input an Asset Tag Number.
• Ability to set the sensitivity of the attached microphones, etc.
• Being able to set what the voltage level should be, for external power cutoff (the default is 10v).

Pros:

• With microphones supplied: it is extremely sensitive.
• Creates clean, accurate, recordings.
• Default settings, produced excellent sound quality recordings – well balanced/no clipping.
• Excellent/detailed battery status information.
• Ease of deployment – easy to choose modes – via mode button.

Cons:

• May be considered relatively expensive.
• Bluetooth connectivity would've been nice.

Obviously, Titley wildlife sound recording products have a loyal following, worldwide; and for good reason: They produce professional-level products. Their recorders are used and trusted by many of the world's top researchers, et al.

Those who are loyal customers of Titley, will be happy to see many of the great features they have come to expect from this brand. Things like:

• Ease of deployment.
• Accurate, professional audio recordings.
• A myriad of customization features, as well as scheduling, etc.

Currently, you can order the new Ranger units, right on Titley's website!

I plan to add some more Ranger-specific tips & tricks to this review soon... There will also be some audio files...either here, or on my YouTube channel.

Some additional tidbits: I've recently learned that one (US-based) group studying wolves, sets their recorders to:

• Record between 6am - 6pm
• 22kHz sample rate, 12dB of gain
• 200-750 for mid max frequency
• 1.5 to 60 second recordings

Also, that coyotes typically vocalize at 600Hz on the low end.

Another (US-based) group, studying Barn Owls:

• Set their recorders to record at 30-60 minutes after sunset / and 30 minutes before sunrise.
• Set their sample rate to 12kHz - for Barn Owls (24kHz for other owls).
• Often record in 30 minute blocks
• Set their gain to 24db
• Frequency 1.5 to 3.3 Hz
• Detection length to 0.3 to 1.2 seconds
• Maximum inter-syllable gap to 0.001

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting!

The Ranger Bat & Wildlife Sound Recorder - Addendum To Recent Presentation For The BatAbility Club

This post serves as a follow up, to the recent presentation I gave, for the BatAbility Club - On The brand new Ranger from Titley Scientific.

• The live webinar/presentation review went very well; all the major points and features were well covered for The BatAbility Club (members). I just want to take this opportunity, to add a few extra bits of info:

Just some minor items which I didn’t get to mention, since we ran out of time.

To reiterate: It arrived here, for testing and review –  directly from the source – Titley’s headquarters in Australia.   

I’m happy to inform you, that the brand new Ranger, recently developed by Titley Scientific, is everything you would imagine it to be! 

It boasts:

• Outstanding sensitivity.
• Perfect, highly accurate, distortion-free recordings; with superb resistance to clipping.
• Super-easy deployment via one mode button.
• Robust built-in GPS, which integrates seamlessly with the system.
• A headphone jack and the ability to do transects.

These are in addition to it’s built-in features, which are immediately obvious when glancing at Titley‘s web page on the Ranger. Things like:

• 3 microphone ports & the ability to use all three simultaneously.
• The ability to choose from, and use several different models/combinations of microphones.
• Two memory card slots - each able to accommodate SD cards up to 1TB in size.
• Easy to use colour touch screen.
• Ability to utilize 8 AA sized batteries.
• Option to be powered by solar panels.

In addition:

The ability to produce and append useful meta-data to each recording.

Superior built-in organization in relation to file folders (multiple folders automatically generated).

The option to fully, and easily customise many of the unit’s individual features.

I have more to add! To be continued…

Happy bat detecting!

Stock photo by Titley.

The Next Bat Detector to be Reviewed: The Brand New Ranger from Titley Scientific

The next bat detector to be tested and reviewed - Via Live webinar/presentation - For (members of) The BatAbility Club, will be:

The Brand New Ranger from Titley Scientific! If you click on the link, you’ll quickly see that it’s much more than just a static bat recorder - It’s designed to record audible wildlife as well! It’s also designed with lots of excellent features.

It’s not officially available to the public yet - That’s how new it is!

This will be sometime in February 2024!

Until then, Have a Merry Christmas! 🎄 and a Happy New Year!🎊 

Happy bat detecting!

Book Review: ‘Thermal Imaging For Wildlife Applications' By Kayleigh Fawcett Williams

There’s a very interesting new book, just released entitled: 

‘Thermal Imaging For Wildlife Applications’ by Kayleigh Fawcett Williams published by Pelagic Publishing.

It was published on October 24th of this year. It is 176 pages in length, measures approx 9.5" high and 6.5" wide, and weighs 304 grams.

Right from the start, I may as well confess, that I really like books about electronic kit. In the world of bat ecology and to a lesser degree, Ecology at large, there aren’t many books on such topics. Which is to say, there aren’t many books out there, which deal specifically with the subject of electronic devices used by ecologists, biologists, and others involved in wildlife study and research.

On a related note, I’m happy to report that there are several, very interesting books printed over the last decade, dealing with the subject of wildlife recording. They cover forest habitat(s), underwater/dolphin calls, general guides to sound recording in the field, etc. I have intentions of acquiring one or two, at some point. 

Like many of you, my current bookcases are packed and overflowing.

This often forces me to place books on top of other books, which may be on top of papers I’ve printed out for reading, which are on top of a laptop that isn’t used very often anymore, etc. 

Which is when I discovered that (for whatever reason) it seems this book is a little more “slippery” than other books. Whenever I placed it on top of any sheets of paper, whether it was a single sheet of paper, or a short stack, this book always had a tendency to slip and slide away. 

It would slide off of whatever “small tower” it was precariously placed on (mea culpa). But only if placed on paper; it seem to fare well on all other random surfaces. Things like the rubberized cover of an iPad, the faux-steel cover of an HP laptop, etc. 

I can’t help but wonder, if someone at Pelagic Publishing is reading this in disbelief? (I’m just having some fun). 

In any case, we should probably bear in mind, that this was observed with my copy of the book. It may very well be that subsequent printings of the book will be slightly different. When printing for distribution, the molecular structure of the book’s covers might have a quantum change, rendering it a bit less slippery, who’s to say?

As always, a big thank you to Pelagic Publishing for the copy of the book! I feel honored to say that I received one of the very first copies. Even before the author received her copies! 

The book may be found, wherever books on Ecology (and related subjects) are sold.

The book has an eye-catching cover - depicting two Fallow Deer, whose image was captured by the author, using a FLIR T1030sc thermal camera.

The Contents are well-laid out, in a detailed, and logical order. This is immediately followed by a listing of the Figures shown in the book.

Thermal Imaging for Wildlife Applications offers the reader an excellent trek into the world of thermal imaging. It features a well-laid-out progression. Illustrating that this technology is not only very useful for bats, but almost any wildlife species which one may wish to study. The content was refreshing and engrossing. 

It features detailed descriptions of when and where thermal imaging has been referenced in the existing literature. The book serves as an excellent resource, pooling together records of the use of this technology over the past several decades. Along with detailed notes, and interesting information.

Pros:

• It's a unique and valuable reference on the intriguing, increasingly used technology which is thermal imaging.
• The book covers the current state of the art of these devices, along with some helpful guidance, for someone considering their acquisition and use. 
• It's a handy, one-stop resource, containing a wealth of education on the subject.

Cons:

• I would have liked to see more information on the individual imaging units available; as well as more specific recommendations.

Please note: You're reading a review of a book, dealing with high tech electronic kit - written by someone who adores high tech electronic kits! It hasn't been easy to remain stoic and objective. I've had to curb my enthusiasm, but I can say, that I really enjoyed it!

I'll can also tell you that even a geek like me, learned a few things about this amazing technology, which was completely unknown to me.

Some things I really liked:

The word cloud on page 5.

The paired photographs on page 7.

The photos on page 27.

I was pleased to read Chapter 3 ('Methods') because it explained the various ways in which these cameras may be deployed.

It was neat to see the 'Kayleigh says' paragraph boxes throughout the book - which contained enlightening tips/information shared by the Author. The boxes were reminiscent of those often seen in the 'For Dummies' series of books.

I enjoyed Chapter 5 ('Application Types'), and Chapter 6 ('Wildlife Applications'). 

As the author herself points out: The book may be read cover-to-cover, or used as a reference. This is certainly the case. I found the descriptions of several different types of thermal imagers engaging. 

I enjoyed learning a bunch of stuff that I was unaware of in regards to this unique technology: How it's deployed, utilized, and most importantly, how the resulting data is handled. You'll be sure to learn some things you might never have guessed (I did!).

Pages 84 through 124 contained an Appendix, detailing when and where thermal imaging was discussed in the existing literature - From 1968 to 2021. As someone who is fascinated with how instruments such as bat detectors, microscopes, and telescopes have evolved over time - I found it very interesting!

Page 125 ('Resources') shares very intriguing information, which you probably didn't know you needed. Which is neatly followed up with ('Supplier Directory') on page 127. To be blatantly honest - always one of my favourite parts of any book of this type. This is the section informing the reader exactly where they can get their hands on such magic. In other words: the list of active vendors/Dealers to check out when shopping for your own thermal imagers. 

I found the book delightful, engaging, informative, and an overall wonderful reference. It would be of interest to anyone who is either considering, or ready to begin using thermal imaging technology. It's not only a unique resource on the subject, but an impressive technical reference, which one can come back to again, and again.

It also serves as an easy to understand introduction to the world of thermal imaging. Which would be well suited to a newcomer to this fascinating and useful technology. 

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting! thermal imaging!

The Next Item To Be Reviewed...

The next device to be reviewed, on The BatAbility Club (via live webinar), will be The Brand-New USB Mic - designed by Open Acoustic Devices in England.

I've actually already written a detailed review of it Here.

A look at the documentation from Open Acoustic Devices.

The Product Review Webinar will be presented live, for members of The BatAbility Club on November 13th, 5pm London time.

I'm really looking forward to sharing my experiences, tests, and results using this unique USB Microphone.

I've become accustomed to recording bats (as well as singing insects) with the USB Mic attached to my laptop, via a 10' (3 meter) USB cable. It's actually very convenient; and the recordings end up exactly where you want them!

A sincere thank you, to my readers; for sharing this blog amongst your colleagues and peers! It reached over 16,000 visitors this month!

Also, a special thank you, to Singapore! Thank you for all the visits.

I will also be reviewing a brand-new book, which is soon-to-be-released, from Pelagic Publishing - Titled 'Thermal Imaging For Wildlife Applications' By Kayleigh Fawcett Williams.

Currently available for Pre-Order from NHBS:

Until next time, 

Thanks again, and

Happy bat detecting!

The AudioMoth Online Conference 2023

For the second year in a row, Nils Bouillard has arranged, curated, and orchestrated The AudioMoth Online Conference!

And it was even better than the first one! I'll share the description seen on the welcome screen of the course:

"Welcome to this second edition of the Audiomoth Online Conference. Over the course of four sessions, we will be hearing from 12 researchers using Audiomoth in the field! The topics we will be covering will include coral reefs, soundscapes, birds, bats, rodents as well as perspectives and a bit of an overview of the state of affordable bioacoustic tools. Needless to say, the breadth of knowledge that will be shared during this conference, once more, will be substantial and may give you some ideas for projects of your own!"

If you look closely, you can see what the prices were (€57, and €30 for Students).

This 2023 Conference featured 12 speakers!

A LOT of material was covered! Let's get a couple of things out of the way:

• I learned a lot!
• Each of these talks were simply fascinating!

The kind of stuff that would inspire one to start thinking about collecting wildlife sound recordings! As well as underwater recordings...And hydrophones!

Yes, I still have the cutest little (purple) circuit boards for building pre-amps for (DIY) hydrophones...

No, I haven't built any yet, because I'm a bit of a scatterbrain who gets distracted by shiny, new things! lol

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but - Back to The AudioMoth Conference!

12 speakers - I'll break it down further (a generalization):

Session 1

• AudioMoth + Light Pollution + Effects on the timing of bird songs (Hong Kong). By Ann To.
• AudioMoth + Bat Activity + Street lights (Hong Kong). By John Allcock. 💓
• AudioMoth + Utility of Acoustic Indices to assess diversity of birds. By Gaurav Singh

Very engrossing! Light pollution and Swinhoe's White Eye (bird) - Wow! The effects of light pollution, and street lighting on bats, Along with fascinating findings while assessing the diversity of passerine/non-passerine birds. All excellent and very informative!

Session 2

• AudioMoth + Sampling High Frequency calls of Cave Bats + Southeastern Amazon. By Giulliana Appel.
• AudioMoth + Impact of community-led Conservation Practices on Biodiversity in Floodplain Lakes + Jurua River / Amazon. By Carly Batist.
• Taking The AudioMoth Underwater + Oceanic Soundscapes + HydroMoth. By Lucille Chapuis. 💓

The techniques used to record cave bats in the Amazon was illuminating and enchanting, Learning about the floodplains, weather, and wildlife, as well as cutting edge data manipulation was interesting, The oceanic soundscapes/underwater recording, as well as equipment discussion was captivating. 

Session 3

• AudioMoth + Assessing Avian Diversity in Taita Hills, Kenya. By Vikram Malhi
• AudioMoth + Estimating The Abundance of The Critically Endangered Great Green Macaw. By Tom Lewis. 💓
• AudioMoth + Social Vocalization In Social Networks of Wild, Free-Living House Mice. By Nicholas Jourjine. 💓

Fascinating descriptions of methodologies in (avian) surveys, and data collection, The critically endangered Green Macaw is simply captivating, I thoroughly enjoyed the informative talk on the (wild) House Mice.

Session 4

• HydroMoths + Hurricanes + How Does A Low-Cost Recording Device Perform in Extreme Weather. By Nathan Wolek. 💓
• AudioMoth + Creating Tools To Conserve Our Wildlife. By Andrew Schulz.
• AudioMoth + Open Acoustic Devices. By Andy Hill. 💓

The Hurricanes and Hydromoths presentation was just chock-full of getting kids involved in real science; educative! Creating Tools to conserve our wildlife was incredibly informative, and also demonstrated kids involved in real science, the talk from Andy Hill was extremely instructive and explanatory. He shared several valuable/useful guidelines for getting the most from AudioMoths.

Now: Please keep in mind, that all of these presentations were fascinating and informative! I found all of them captivating, and deeply appreciated each of them. I simply placed a "💓" after the ones which I found to be particularly absorbing to me.

Each of these talks offered those in attendance, a unique glimpse into the current state of bioacoustic study. Each consisted of instructional breakdowns, and informative explanations of the projects discussed. As well as very well explained details of the processes, and a glimpse into the extensive amounts of work involved. 

These educational AudioMoth Online Conferences are a treasure trove of learning; and not to be missed! They are an outstanding way to learn which current, and future methods are being employed in the field of bioacoustics. 

In many cases, a look into what it's like, to utilize state-of-the-art manipulation of collected acoustic data. As well as methods and techniques, employed in challenging environments, to collect important and viable bioacoustic data.

So these online conferences would be ideal for anyone who works with, or plans to work with or deploy, virtually any device created by Open Acoustic Devices.

Attendees who have watched all the courses, whether live or recorded playback, get a certificate of completion emailed to them.

By the way, you can subscribe to the free email updates right from the Barbastella Ecology page. Just scroll down to the bottom of this page. So you won't miss out on future events. 

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting!