
© irene waters 2016

Every evening between 1/4 to 7 and 7pm the flying foxes fly over our house in three distinct strands to their feeding spot on the other side of the river. We thought there were a lot but nothing prepared us for the number that flew over the marina at Tewantin.
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About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
😮 Do they make a noise, Irene? I thought the flocks of corellas were bad at Mortlake, but geez that looks horrendous!
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The people where they roost complain violently not only about the noise but also the smell. They will move on soon I think as the wood where they are is close to death. It will regenerate after they go and apparently will be better than it was.
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All that flying fox poo must doing things good, then. I must have a listen on YouTube!
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Christine I think they are too far away on the youtube clip to hear anything. They make quite a high pitched squeal or squeak.
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Thanks for that. I hadn’t looked yet.
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OMG, the first time I read your reply, Irene, I thought you meant the people would move on, then I realized you meant the BATS would move on. The place might be better if all things move on and everything will be better left alone. Gotta be one’s perspective. LOL LOL LOL
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I’ll suggest that in the local paper in response to the next complaint I read and sign it Sharon. 🙂 LOL
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Bats are very cool, but that’s too many! Actually not – the last I heard we (US) has been losing a lot of bats, whole colonies. It’s great that there are still huge colonies someplace in the world…
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They have been on the endangered list for some time and it is illegal here to kill them. The colonies certainly do seem to be huge. Makes you think of the movie Birds and Transylvania all in one breath…
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It’s like an Alfred Hitchcock film.
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Absolutely. A screening of Birds and Vampires together.
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And you stood outside to get a photo? I’d have run inside and scrambled under the bed at the sight of the first bat. Though I do understand how good they are for the environment. But still, a million of them overhead? Yikes!
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2 million I reckon Sharon. If they’d been lower I would have been under that bed with you.
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Amazing shots.
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Thanks Raewyn. Unexpected
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Great photos Irene 😀
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Thanks Irene. Unexpected skywatch.
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That’s amazing! I get a few in summer that dip and dive around the yard, but nothing like that!
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I’d not seen them like that before either and I have been to the marina on many occasions.
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In Austin, Texas you can watch the bats fly out from underneath one of the river bridges at dusk. It’s a big attraction. Funny, I don’t like mice at all, but I rather like bats which are essentially mice with wings!
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Yes I agree Charli. Mice with wings but there is something captivating about bats that mice don’t have.
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