Currently there exists an invasion of bats in the Water Gardens at Batemans Bay, New South  Wales. It has been estimated that up to 100,000 bats are involved. They have been arriving each year but this year in unprecedented numbers. They are quite a problem especially for those living near the gardens because of the smell, droppings – not to mention the defoliation. I stayed safely in a bird-hide watching the twilight departure and it took over 45 minutes before the skies started to thin out.

There has been considerable discussion on what should be done. They are a protected animal and it would be a very expensive operation to try and move them elsewhere. Then they would become somone else’s problem. Personally I think a waiting game is the only option for they will move on with colder weather. Some have thought global warming might be a cause as we have had a very warm autumn. Below is an image and a prose type poem in response – waiting for the ‘spell’ to end so to speak.

Bat Intrusion
Water-gardens, Batemans Bay

A Macbeth ingredient to a massive brew
annual arrival, unprecedented numbers
spell a discord in the local population.

The defoliation exhibits the hangout.
They settle clipping in early morning light,
so many smelly bags of washing.
The continuous gabble groom or sleep
eyes grounded on the dung-spat path.

With evening the crepuscular cauldron
stir into mass movement for forage.
The insidious cloak-flight of the night feed
dark sweep in the disappearing light
with ultrasonic echo into insect-prey.

The sickened water-gardens must wait
for a change in the season, this spell to end,
for fresh air, for the chance for restitution.

Richard Scutter 18 April 2016