Gone batty

By Amanda De George

Things have gone a little batty in the Northern Illawarra, with the number of grey-headed flying foxes in our local camp having exploded. While the site of the camps (colonies) usually remains the same, the numbers in these sites are highly variable. The camp near us in Thirroul is usually a small, temporary home for the summer to a few dozen of these caped teddy bears but over the last few weeks the numbers have increased and the camp is now huge (and spectacular).

These bats are a keystone species and help the escarpment flourish.

Okay, let’s address the elephant – well, the bat –in the room. Bats are not dirty, they are not a threat to the community and the environment needs them. Grey-headed flying foxes are mega bats and they’re referred to as a keystone species, meaning that they are one of the keys to the survival of an ecosystem.

These bats are vital for the pollination and seed dispersal of the many native species throughout our forests. They can actually travel up to 50 kilometres a night in search of food, so that’s a lot of area that a single bat can disperse the seed in.

So why these huge numbers now? Janine Davies from Bats – Bomaderry and Beyond explains that these animals travel the coast of eastern Australia from Queensland, through New South Wales, Victoria and across to South Australia and as they return, they’re moving into areas for food.

Janine says, “At this time of year they are travelling north, following the flowering of various trees to enable them to feed. Due to deforestation, a lot of their feed trees have been destroyed and when this happens we find them in urban areas.”

Add in the fires and floods and the all-round wild weather, and many of the usual sources of their favourite food, the nectar of Eucalypt blossoms, are not there this season and so they congregate where they can find food.

There’s a lot of myths out there about the danger that these bats can pose to humans but Janine stresses, “There is no risk from flying foxes if you do not touch them. There is less than 1% [of bats] being infected with Australian bat lyssavirus.”

If you do find a sick or injured bat, don’t touch it or try to move it in anyway. Instead, contact your local wildlife carer (Janine suggests downloading the IFAW Wildlife Rescue App to locate your nearest) and a specially trained and vaccinated bat carer will attend.

If you can, take the time to look skyward at dusk. The sight of thousands of bats taking to the sky, swirling and circling and then moving out into the night is one not to be missed. Honestly. We stood absolutely mesmerised when we headed out to watch.

These particular bats won’t be here for long and will continue their trek north shortly. Importantly, if we don’t prioritise these animals and the forest that supports them, they, and many other species, won’t be here permanently.

“If we are to lose the flying foxes, we will lose habitat that will also affect other species such as koala, possums, birds, insects etc, that depend on the forests,” Janine says. “As our night-time pollinators, without them so many eucalypt forests will cease to exist, as too will native fruit trees.”

Visit

Tree of the Month

By Kieran Tapsell, of Banksia Bushcare

Ficus coronata (Sandpaper fig)

Sandpaper Fig is easily recognised. The leaves are like sandpaper, and it has been said that the Aboriginal people used them to sharpen their spearheads.

While the tree is generally smaller than the Port Jackson Fig and Moreton Bay Fig, it can reach about 10 metres. It is one of the most common rainforest species in the Illawarra.

It has one drawback. Despite the rough nature of its leaves, the deer love to eat it.

Sandpaper figs are said to be edible and are good for making jam, but I have not tried it.

Like all figs, it is an inverted flower that is germinated by a special wasp that damages its wings when it enters to lay its eggs and fertilise the fig. There must be plenty of these wasps because it is one of the most common trees to regenerate in the local forests.

New invaders at Banksia Bushcare

The rainy weather has been good for the trees, but also for the growth of weeds. We have the usual culprits, Lantana, Senna, Ochna and Asparagus Fern, and to a lesser extent Madeira and Moth Vine, but we have also seen some new invaders, notably White passionflower (Passiflora subpeltata), which is starting to come up everywhere. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to pull out when it is young.

Expansive native display gardens; rainforest walk; picnic areas; sensory trail. Extensive range of plants for sale, including hard to find grafted grevilleas.

Dogs on leash welcome.

Eftpos available.