Bats heading east at sunset

Bats heading east at sunset
Originally uploaded by Pip_Wilson.

I live next to Bat Island, Bellingen, NSW, Australia, where there are (I guess) hundreds of thousands of flying foxes (fruit bats). Bats of the genus Pteropus, belonging to the Megachiroptera sub-order, are the largest bats in the world. Right on sunset each night they fly off in search of food, and return before dawn. Lately they have been heading west, but last night they went in an easterly direction. I don't know how they decide this -- perhaps they send out scouts in search of food sources, or maybe they have an ancient instinctive pattern. I rather suspect the former, as food sources must change constantly. Click image to embiggen.

I'm a member of the Rainbow Region flickr group for North-eastern New South Wales.

Categories: bellingen