Bats, Cockatoos and Ibis', Oh My...

Sometimes I feel like I am in a familiar environment. I will be sitting, phasing out, watching people going by and then suddenly I am confronted with a random creature. Not an everyday occurrence living in New York City. New York may have mice, rats, and squirrels (which strangely enough do not exist here) but they have nothing compared to some of the bizarre and exotic things you see on a typical Sydney day.

I came to Sydney in June for a quick visit to validate my visa. On my first day here I was sitting at a café when suddenly two Rainbow Lorikeets landed on my table. I hear they are attracted to the leftover sugar from the coffee but I will ignore that sensible explanation and think of it more as a welcome- a sign that good things are to come. 

Rainbow Lorikeets

A walk through Hyde Park and the Sydney Botanical Gardens on a beautiful sunny day is full of surprises. One might confront a flock of cockatoos (which fly around freely) or be attacked by a group of magpies (they are not very nice birds), become acquainted with the Ibis (which are considered pests), or look up and, no kidding, see bats hanging in the trees as they sleep the day away. Seriously they look like ornaments hanging from the trees. Not the most delightful sight.

Cockatoos

Ibis'

Sleeping bats (except for one which seemed to be wide awake)

Just sitting on my patio I see a duck that takes a bath in the water every evening (it’s kind of sad that I know the ducks bathing schedule). Best of all, at sundown everyday we watch the bats as they cross the city skyline. A swarm of bats, thousands of them, fly overhead each night as they travel from the Sydney Botanical gardens (and apparently sky scraper air conditioning vents) to Centennial Park. It is a site not to miss. 

Duck taking a bath

The nightly fly over

As I have learned from sydneybats.org.au, the most commonly seen bat in the Sydney area is the Grey-headed Flying-fox, a large nectar and fruit-eating bat which roosts during the day in large treetop colonies. The Grey-headed Flying-fox is listed as a threatened (vulnerable to extinction) species at State, Federal, and International levels.

Apparently New York does have it's share of strange creatures. Check out this article.