We are delighted to have set up a Motus tracking station on the Old Coastguard Station tower next to the visitor centre at Gibraltar Point. Eagle-eyed visitors may have spotted the new aerials, which will pick up signals from special transmitters on passing birds and bats, and feed into valuable global data.

The Motus system uses radio telemetry to detect the movement of animals and birds fitted with lightweight tags. Directional aerials are set up to detect the tags when they come in to range - generally within around 5-7km. Information is currently collated from 1,777 receiver stations in 34 countries, the majority in North and Central America but an increasing number in Europe, including the UK, and around the world.

The small tags or transmitters have a thin aerial - about the width of a piece of thread - running from them. They are attached to the back of birds or bats between their shoulder blades using wound glue. They have even been used on bumblebees! As the animals grow and replace hair or feathers, the transmitter will naturally fall off. The system supplies researchers with huge amounts of extremely useful and sometimes surprising data without the need for repeated catching, and with far more detail of movement and direction than monitoring ringed birds, for example, can give.

Gibraltar Point is ideally located as a receiver station because it is a migration hub and sees a huge variety of shorebirds, as well as other species either in passing or seasonally resident.

The addition of the site to the Motus network comes after a long period of planning and fundraising. We are very grateful for the funding received from Sea-Changers, Lincolnshire Bird Club and donations made in memory of Dick Lambert (Gibraltar Point warden from 1976 to 1986). We would also like to extend our thanks to Ewan and Sue Parsons, who provided support, technical expertise and advice on site, and to the team at Lincs Radios for the quality installation.

"We now look forward to reporting our first detection – maybe during this autumn migration," said Kevin Wilson, Coastal Officer for the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. "Some fascinating results have already been achieved, increasing our knowledge and understanding of migration, the timings of arrivals and departures, flight routes and distances involved.

"Who would have guessed that Nathusius' pipistrelle bats make regular North Sea crossings? The contribution to informing marine spatial planning could be significant.

"Our local results could help to answer questions like: Why do spring migrants fly south along the east coast? Conversely, why do seabirds move north in autumn? To what extent do Siberian knot and sanderling move through The Wash on migration? What are swifts doing in mid-summer?

"It is hoped that we can extend the Motus coverage along the Lincolnshire coast over the next few years with partners from other organisations."

Find out more about Motus