Each bat ecologist has an extensive equipment portfolio. It is all highly specialised, computer-based and very sensitive designed specifically for bat work. Some is used only for manned surveys but some can be left on site for many weeks as demanded by each survey requirement. Analysis of recordings is made using specialised software and used in reports.
Such surveys may provide a different depth of information to the ecologists and their clients. This is often valuable in relating activity levels to weather patterns and the annual cycle of events (breeding, feeding, roosting etc.). In some situations long term monitoring is valuable in providing detailed information about a site and/or a species and help developers and planners considerably with devising suitable mitigation schemes or the timing of works.