The preparation and organisation in Slovakia was done by Miroslav Fulín of the Slovakian Bat Protection group. About 12 participants went trough the complete program, about 4 others could tune in on parts of the day or evening program. Participants came from all parts of Slovakia. As our home base we used a house belonging to the regional nature conservation society. I had the honour of lodging in the entrance house to the beautiful karstic Jasov Cave in the small town Jasov near Moldava nad Bodvou. Financially the workshop was made possible through contributions by the German Federal Agency of Nature Conservation to the Eurobats transboundary program, and by the Dutch Milieukontakt Oosteuropa for the logistical costs of the workshop.

Between 16.00 and 17.00 hours on the 30th of May everybody arrived and we immediately started with the theoretical sessions. This time translation from English to Slovakian was necessary and Lucia Bobakova did a splendid job in translating all lectures and questions and answers, as well as being my guide and translator while travelling around the area. Really hard work. At due times others helped in translation and communication using English or German. We always found a way.
The first exiting thing to happen was that a Pipistrelle exhibit that was brought to the workshop appeared to be Pipistrellus pygmaeus. We hoped to go and find it alive in its hunting habitats also.

On the first night we started of from the Jasov Cave entrance to a small pond and streams near Jasov. As always Noctules (Nyctalus noctula) were the first to be out. Sounds, silhouette, flight behaviour, everything was perfectly demonstrated by tow of them hunting high along wooded slopes of the mountain. After a while Serotines (Eptesicus serotinus) joined the scene to show their different. On a track along a little stream though the forest we found some Pipistrelles (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and a passing unidentified Myotid bat. Reaching the edge of the pond there were abundant Pipistrelles hunting above the water and some very soft Myotis hunting in the lime trees which in a double tree lane surrounded the pond. Probably Myotis emarginatus, because a large group of them were known to live in a nearby monastery, but no positive identification. Open areas between the pond and the village revealed a lot of hunting Pipistrelles and Serotines. Going back to the water the Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii) had appeared, but it being still quit light concentrated on hunting close to the bank under the overhanging branches. A spot where the sunset made the water shine like a mirror, for us worked out as an excellent situation to see the
behaviour and wings of this species and imprint the sounds going along with that. Fantastic when the circumstances and the animals allow you to really observe them. A walk along a stream brought us an occasional Pipistrelle, thus we returned to the pond. Now, in the dark, the Daubenton's were over the water everywhere and lot's of Pipistrelles on the bank. In between the cacophony we tried to find 'the small one' but had no luck so far. Our way back through the village allowed us to experience the puzzle of Serotines and Noctules hunting near street lamps. Pipistrelles also took part in this scene and a lesser horseshoe (Rhinolophus hipposideros) bat was heard in the garden of the monastery.

On the second night we visited some large fish ponds near Hrvov were masses of Daubenton's were know to be hunting and Myotis dasycneme could be expected. Trying to bring theory into practise, and wanting to find Daubenton's flight paths, we split in small groups and guarded all connections between the ponds and the forest. First we observed Noctules hunting at very high altitudes and with sonar going down in QCF-frequencies to as low as 17,5 kHz. I was really doubting whether these animals could be N. lasiopterus and was glad for some of them to come down lower, and in doing this bringing up their frequencies and allowing better visual observation to make clear they were regular Noctules. An occasional Serotine was heard hunting. Then suddenly a thunderstorm
developed and brought us really heavy rain. But a nice and warm rain. We kept our post for a while and became very very wet. Interesting was that the post I was on was now used by a whole bunch of Serotines as their flyway out of the area. They struggled against the wind in the pouring rain. We struggled against the wind and the pouring rain to get back to the cars. And even in the pouring rain Daubenton's were flying along and in a tunnel of vegetation and trees along a stream in the middle of the area with ponds. Even on the water some activity of Daubenton's could be observed, but observation conditions really were bad. When everybody had gathered Lucia and Erwin reported
that a large stream of Daubenton's had entered the area from the other side, following a channel leading to the ponds. So at least first indications regarding their flight path were found.

Being wet we decided to go for a more sheltered area near the entrance of Drienovecka Cave. Here we could observe mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis/blythii) and an occasional lesser horseshoe bats flying in and out. Some smaller fast passing Myotid bat did not allow us to recognise it. To fast and to short an observation. We hoped for Schreiber's bats (Miniopterus schreibersii) because they were know to inhabit the cave also. And when we already were on our way back, we had the luck to observe a few specimen passing through the tree lane between a hotel and the cave entrance. Nice 'pygmaeus' kind of tonal quality on about 52 kHz, but with a faster and non-Pipistrelle rhythm. A somewhat larger animal with long and narrow wings flying at high speed. Living in the north west of Europe myself, and this species being difficult to observe with the bat detector, I am always very delighted to see and hear them again.

Now the rain had stopped, and the cloud cover broke open, the wet clothes started to become cold. Still I succeeded in getting everybody interested to have a go at another large pond near Turna nad Bodvou. Again a spectacular noise about twelve or more bat detectors listening to hunting Noctules, Serotines, Pipistrelles and an occasional Nathusius' pipistrelle (new species on the workshop). We tried to find dasycneme among the Daubenton's and I recorded a long sequence of this species to be able to check for dasycneme in the recordings. Being cold we had to go back. But the next day I was happy to have been there, because in checking the recordings, although I didn't
find dasycneme, I found faint sounds of the Pygmy pipistrelle. Although to be expected: new for Slovakia. Unfortunately a very very poor and faint recording only.

The next evening we went for the mountainous area of Stoss, an old health and rehabilitation centre. Above a small pond in the garden a net was set up. We hoped for Leisler's bat (Nyctalus leisleri) which was earlier also caught in the next valley. The detector squad had a nice opportunity to observe the Whiskered/Brandt's bat (M. mystacinus/brandtii) hunting above a very small pond in the forest on a slope. As if it had read the books it demonstrated following an almost stereotyped flight path over the water and between some trees again and again. Later we learned that those at the net had caught M. mystacinus and Leisler's bat! Two small groups of lesser horseshoe bats were found in a basement of a building and a small cave in a slope, and some Serotines, a Northern bat (E. nilssonii), some Pipistrelles and a single Noctule were heard in the detector. The detector group moved to another area nearby, a narrow forested valley with fishponds called Šugov. Pipistrelles and lots of Daubenton's bats were discovered over the water. At the end of one pond we found a hunting Natterer's bat (M. nattereri) swooping and circling through the branches, then going down to hunt above the water under the branches, then going up again to the tree crown. Moonlight made it all relatively easy to observe, and the fast rhythm with sudden changes and steep FM sounds, as well as the broader wings and more hectic flight style compered to e.g. Daubenton's could clearly be recognised. We sat there for a while enjoying the spectacle when a very small bat flew close around our heads. A long "beeeeb beeeep” on 55, and stronger on 110 kHz told us it was a lesser horseshoe bat. A very nice addition to the observations in the basement.
While the night grew colder and activity got less we headed for Jasov cave. Here outside Pipistrelles were hunting and in the entrance mouse-eared bats, a smaller unidentified Myotis and three different horseshoe species (Rh. ferrumequinum, Rh. hipposideros and Rh. euryale) were observed. Excellent for training one's hearing.

On the next day the program, experiences and results were rounded up, and most of the participants part head to start travelling home again. But now with a detector and experiences to start practising in their own regions.
But a small group still head two night ahead. In the afternoon we went for a church in Krásna Hôrka, were 4 had the opportunity to check on the bats. We found Greater horse shoe bats, Mediterranean horseshoe bats (Rh. euryale) and Geoffroy's bats of which about 200, 200 and 150 individuals were present respectively. Some old dried dead animals showed that the lesser horseshoe bat uses the attic too. The evening was to be spent in a most beautiful silent valley where besides the scene described in the first paragraph, we found Pipistrelles hunting in the village. A pond in a garden looked very promising for netting, but proved us wrong. Nothing would get in the net. A nice drink offered to us by the man in whose garden we all were, made up for this little 'disappointment to those handling the nets.

Next, and last day out in the field, we spent in an even smaller group. Miroslav and his wife took me to Domica Cave, one of the amazingly beautiful karstic caves in which Lucia Bobakova is studying the seasonal dynamics in numbers and site selection of the bats using the caves. Lucia was our guide. We supported her in her normal survey round and at the end were rewarded with observations and good recordings (the reader must recognise that I always like to record bat sounds) of a colony of about 500 Mediterranean horseshoe bats. Just great. And if this wasn't enough Miroslav took me inside Jasov Cave later in the afternoon to again enjoy the beauty of these kartic caves. We silently went into an area where about 40 greater horseshoe bats had their roost. We started dark and slowly raised the level of light until we could see them grooming each other, and having all kinds of social interactions. To me it can't beat the sight of horseshoe bats circling trough a tree crown, but I have to admit it was marvellous.

For the evening we finally planed to go back to Turna nad Bodvou to try and make better recordings of the Pygmy pipistrelle. On our way their we would meet Štefan Matiz and accompany him in a short trip to ring some Eagle owl chicks. Unfortunately the weather got quite wet again and it was no use to go out. We decided to go to Turna anyway and have a beer waiting for a dry moment. It took us two beers, but then indeed the rain broke and it was a lovely warm and almost windless night. Arriving at the pond I immediately realised why the Pygmy pipistrelles had been so weak on the recording. We had been recording facing the large pond but behind us was a lower quite wet poplar plantation with developed undergrowth. We only needed to put on the detectors and point it at this habitat and we got our pygmaeus. Good undisturbed recordings this time. So now the phonic differences in pipistrellus sound that were recognised already by some working with the bat detector in Slovakia could be explained. Both 45 and 55 kHz Pipistrelles are present. On the pond and the water bank again Daubenton's, Noctules, Serotines, Pipistrelles, and Nathusius'pipistrelles were hunting. After discussion on how to get data on pygmaeus additional to the
recordings, we decided to have a look at the village to maybe get some clues on where a roost might be. No 55 kHz pips in the village, but as we walked along a kind of play ground for children with a lot of trees we encountered a hunting Geoffroy's bat. Again the relatively small bat gleaning and using a fast rhythm of steep FM sounds with soft 'bell-like' quality at about 40 kHz showed the species. With high spirits we walked back to the cars, to be stopped with a lot of Noctule social sound which seemed to be coming from some group of trees. But before we could even
get exited about that some 'strange' sound drew attention. It took me a while before I realised: Barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus)! These are Barbastelles, great with their fast sometimes explosive castagnette like rhythm... again minutes of beautiful recordings were made. We had planned to only go for pygmaeus early in the evening and get to bed a little early because the workshop had taken a lot of energy and I had to start travelling again the next day. But the rain and the bats just kept us going.. .. The next day in visiting the Museum and nice old centre of Košice before I had to get to the airport, I was still quiet from all these adventures experiences.... all in all 16 species of 7 different genera.

Herman Limpens