Flying foxes

One creature that I've wanted to see since before arriving in Australia is a flying fox.  These are huge fruit bats native to Australia.  After our arrival, I mentioned my interest, and someone told us there was a large colony that lived in the Botanic Gardens.  Right near us!  But then someone else said no, they had been moved to a suburban park further north, because of the rabies risk.  Tim and I mapped out routes to get to this northern park, but not earnestly.  The bats come out after dusk, and we go to bed then -- a consequence of Tim working California hours while we are here. 

In any case, it hasn't seemed reasonable to travel 40+ minutes to a park in the suburbs in the hopes of seeing giant bats later in the evening, and then to travel 40+ minutes back an hour or so later, when bedtime is 8pm.  (In time to wake up for that 4am meeting.)  So we haven't been.

Of course, we live by our own park, which means there are nocturnal animals that come out at dusk in our own backyard.  Different animals. We had seen a couple of possums when returning home from other events.  Not opossums.  Here they are possums.  Yesterday morning, there was a possum crawling around near a large tree as we walked Jonathan to school.  The possum showed us his big red-brown eyes and tiny delicate paws and twisty white-tipped tail, as he snuffled through the bark.  Around him, parents and school children, bicycle commuters, and well dressed workers walked through the urban park on their way to a day in the city. 

Common ringtail possum -- they guy we saw yesterday morning -- photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

We lived with opossums in Texas, and there they looked like giant mangy rats.  R.O.U.S.'s, we called them, from the Princess Bride.  But the possum in the park yesterday was sweet looking and delicate. 

But even with the park in the back yard, we still haven't taken the time to go out after dusk.  8pm bedtime and all that.  We could hear animals squeaking out there, making their night shift noises, but we hadn't gone to investigate.

Last night there was a party for the adults in Jonathan's school.  I stayed home with a couple of kids (anti-social) and Tim went to the party, staying out late and late and later.  My eyes were pretty heavy by 10:30pm when he finally came home.  But then instead of going to bed, we all headed back out into the park. 

Why?

Because those squeaking noises?  The nocturnal animals we had heard regularly each night, and never bothered to investigate, assuming they were possums?  Those noises were flying foxes!  Flying foxes!  For days (nights?), giant bats have been swooping through the trees just out our back door!

We watched them fly through the clear areas, dark black against a paler gray sky.  They landed in the tall fig trees up above the lights over the path.  High above, they crawled around eating the fruit and squealing at each other.  Noisy animals. 

Flying fox, photo courtesy of Wikipedia. 

And so now the question becomes, what else are we missing, just by failing to look?