The great bat migration

On sunday night Chris and I decided to try out one of the local hotels for dinner, and then hit the pokies for a bit until it stopped raining. Just as we were about to call it quits I scored a $30 win, probably my biggest til date mainly due to the fact that I very rarely play pokies and never use more than my spare change.

When we got home I noticed a couple of bats flying overhead. Most of my friends don't raise an eyebrow at them but we never got bats where I grew up (a mere 10minute drive from where I live now) so I tend to notice them. Anyway its fairly common to see them where I live now, but I've never seen more than one or prehaps two at a time, so when I saw two more fly over I started paying attention. Over the next few minutes at least 30 bats flew over, probably more than 50, all coming from the same direction. I don't know if they had been flushed out of some gardens or something, I live too far out for them to be from the botanical gardens, which regularly give the resident bat population their marching (flying?) orders. I didn't realise how big those beggers are, I've only ever seen them from a distance but some of them were flying pretty low right over us and they had a fairly impressive wingspan. Anyway to sum up it was pretty cool, wish I'd thought to grab my camera.

Bats, possums, cicadas... its amazing the difference 10minutes drive makes to the animal and bug population... weird considering I used to live further out from the city, you'd think out towards the Dandeenongs would have more wildlife. I actually saw an owl sitting on the phone wires over the driveway a week or so ago, never seen one in suburbia before. Shame that he flew off before I could get the camera, he was really cute.

til next time xo