My interest in bats started with lock down. Finding time on my hands at home, I cast around for a project. As a teenager I had dabbled in electronics and embarked on various projects which typically remained unfinished, because I lacked the equipment I needed. One such project was a bat detector, which I started on when I was about 14. This remained unfinished as life got more serious and I needed to pass exams, go to college and so forth.

Much more recently, I noticed that bats visited our garden and I was curious what they were. I realized that I had enough knowledge to be dangerous in the various areas needed to design and build a high spec bat detector. These include electronics, firmware, PCB design, soldering of microscopic electronic components, and digital signal processing.

This project turned out pretty well, and I have used the resulting detector to detect and identify bats locally and further afield. My recording of noctules in Albert Park, Abingdon, was featured on BBC Radio 3.

I am often to be found at dusk in my back garden, with the bat detector and a glass of wine, awaiting evening visitors.

My day job involves writing software and designing systems for detecting malicious and unwanted emails.

Other interests include cycling and music.

You can contact me at my email address: john <at> themears <dot> co <dot> uk.