Amazing creatures. I used to live in Sydney, they used to crash land into the trees around our deck. Not everyone likes them, but I find them fascinating
These look like close relatives of the wretched things that ate all the apricots on our tree in a single night. Definitely not a fan!! Great shot though.
Ha ha, almost like the three wise monkeys........only......bats! I remember holding a fruit bat when I visited Queensland. Fabulous creatures. This is a lovely shot. Fav
@psychographer Lisa...! Thank you very much for your so many and nice comments and favs... Thank you for giving me so much time! It touches me very much.
@jerome Absolutely right Jerome. We had the whole tree double netted and the b------s chewed holes in the top the night before we were going to pick the apricots! What's worse, having found our tree they'll be back every year to do the same thing!! Plus, they did the same to our apple tree. To add insult to injury, the wretched things are (a) in plague proportions; and (b) are protected. Don't know what we'll do now, not worth nurturing fruit trees to feed the bats.
@golftragic What I can think of is a large net over the tree. However, I do not know how big the tree is. The larger the tree, the more difficult is this project. It would, however, be sufficient for this net to be placed just before the harvest of the fruit.
This is just an idea... It's annoying for you, of course.
@jerome It's a good idea Jerome, but we already do net the tree. In fact, it had two layers of netting, resting on supports, over the tree. The bats just chewed through it like a hot knife through butter.
I have not been able to warm to bats of creatures. No reflection on the skill here - but this is one of the few of your works that I would not be happy to hang on my walls!
@golftragic Of course you are right: a cage around my garden tree I would not like. On the other hand it is obviously a few days before maturity. But, of course, it is not funny to have to do such an effort to protect your own fruits.
Thank you all for your so nice comments!
I knew how these animals look. But in Australia I first met them in reality. They seem a bit eerie and droll at the same time when they hang in the trees during the day. Thousands of them filled the forest in Windjana. It was very impressing for me.
This is just an idea... It's annoying for you, of course.
Thank you, Julie, Vesna, Annie, Kereen, Junko and Helen, for your nice comments!