Richard Crompton Limited - Ecology on Demand

08/04/2026

I am really looking forward to attending Thermal Vision Ecology’s Advanced Thermal Workshop next week. I will be hosting a Q&A on the upcoming guidelines and be discussing anything else bat or survey related. I am especially looking forward to filming Hestercombe's large population of greater and lesser horseshoe bats in the evening- it’s a stunning location with lots of bats, and TVE have some great kit to see them with!

I have been working with these guys for a couple of years now and they impressed as main sponsors at our recent Ecology Expo. Their technology is very impressive and it has become one of my standard “go-to” recommendations for complex bat survey situations.

If you are looking to learn about the latest thermal camera advances and want to understand more about new guidance, the do come along!

Back for its second year, this hands-on workshop brings ecologists together to explore advanced thermal imaging techniques for bat surveys.

03/04/2026

A new chapter for my former company, Wildwood Ecology. This was the business whose beginnings were my very first paid wildlife surveys back in 1998. I sold to Richard Dodd my then co-director in 2016, and he’s worked tirelessly to build the company to this point. To see the company move to the next stage of its development is fantastic. Well done to all involved!

16/12/2025

Stuck for a Christmas gift for a colleague or family member? How about a ticket to the Ecology Expo? It's going to be the event of the year in the ecology consultants calendar for 2026, and the ideal way to show someone how much they are appreciated!
You can buy tickets at www.ecologyexpo.com and simply add the name of the person attending during the checkout process.

Ecology Expo 2026 – Stareton Hall, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, Wed 18 Mar 2026 - Thu 19 Mar 2026 - Dedicated to advancing technology and innovation in the ecology sector.  Ecology Exp...

13/11/2025

Here is a friendly reminder that Natural England bat class licence annual returns are due by 30th November-

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bats-survey-or-research-licence-level-2

01/11/2025

Did you know that the Serotine bat (Eurasian Serotine) has been reclassified and is no longer Eptesicus serotinus? It is now Cnephaeus serotinus!
And the (UK vagrant) the 'Northern bat' or Northern Serotine is now Cnephaeus nilssonii (formerly as: Eptesicus nilssonii)

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

11/10/2025

Still places on my bat mitigation workshop at this event. Have you booked? Virtual tickets also available!

The Annual Wales Bat Workers Day is for anyone with an interest in bats! It's a great opportunity to meet others involved in bat work, both professional and voluntary. It’s also a chance to develop knowledge and skills that support bat conservation.

📆 15 November
📍 Coleg Cambria, Wrexham and on zoom
⏱️ Booking deadline: 6 November

The day will include talks on:
• Landscape for Lessers - Daniel Hargreaves, Vincent Wildlife Trust
• Wales Woodland Wonders - Elliot Bastos, BCT
• Thermal Vision for surveying bats - Andrew Milner, Thermal Vision Ecology, our sponsors!
• Attitudes to bats in Wales and the UK - Naomi Webster, BCT
• BCT Update - Dr Joe Nunez-Mino, BCT

And more!

More information and to book: https://buff.ly/AkhJEcw

01/10/2025

Bats and Castles Roost Survey training - places available in the next fortnight!

Thursday afternoon/evenings near Cardiff Airport. Booking links below.

Key skills covered:
-Roost surveying/visiting
-Conducting a Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA)
-How to survey bat roost, appropriate use of torchlight
-How to gather droppings for inspection and eDNA analysis
-Using an endoscope to inspect potential roost features for bats
-Setting up and using night vision aids (infrared cameras and thermal imaging scopes)
(No bats will be handled during this course) Food and refreshments included!

Booking links
Thursday 9th October 3pm -9pm https://www.tickettailor.com/events/richardcromptonltd/1886791

And

Thursday 16th October 3pm-9pm https://www.tickettailor.com/events/richardcromptonltd/1886926

29/09/2025

But it always gets trotted out in reports. I was guilty of perpetuating this myself for many years on training courses… because it was “in the books”! But we have better knowledge now and need to shift to proven roosting behaviour.

Do bats really roost behind ivy on trees? Why can no one produce a photo of it? Are we wasting time and money looking for bats under ivy?

26/09/2025

What a nice message from a participant on yesterdays bat catching and handling course, that Emma Turnbull and I ran at Windsor Great Park:

“Morning Richard. Just wanted to say a massive thank you to you and the team. Very grateful this morning for last night! Learned so much in just one night and still buzzing!
I’m hoping to be able to join you again in Wales if there are any spots left?
Have a lovely day and thanks again!”

And keep an eye on my socials for the Wales training (Bats and Castles)- hopefully 9th and 16th October near Cardiff (just waiting for the venue to confirm some details!)

22/09/2025

This is so good and useful, I’m
Re-posting it again!

01/08/2025

Our next event is going to be on a whole new scale - Ecology Expo!! https://fb.me/e/3tCIONNLG