Speaking of Bats...

[LindasPencils]

Mike! I love the images of the little microbat you found behind the cooker in Laurenes thread: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=319&start=20 I hope you have the chance to draw these little beauties.

Thought you might be interested in the macro sized bats we have here (we have micros as well). We call the big ones 'Flying Foxes' and there are several varieties, most commonly down in Victoria the Grey Headed. A couple of years ago I was in Bendigo during their festival the local Flying Foxes were most upset at all the noise and were swarming around from their roosts in the Morton Bay Fig trees. Usually they fly out at dusk, but this was around 2pm and they were very upset. Below are a couple of photos I took.

Later that summer, during a hot spell, I found the desiccated remains of Grey Headed Flying Fox and sketched it in my nature journal.

Bat2.JPG

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FlyingFoxdwm.jpg

[Laurene]

The flying foxes in Australia are beautiful. They have handsome faces which, let’s face it, most bats really don’t. I remember seeing reports of how many of them were seriously injured during your wildfires.

[Mike Sibley]

Mike! I love the images of the little microbat you found behind the cooker in Laurene's thread: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=319&start=20 I hope you have the chance to draw these little beauties.

Alas, no... but I might

Thought you might be interested in the macro sized bats we have here ... the big ones 'Flying Foxes' ...Below are a couple of photos I took.

I've certainly heard of them, but I didn't know you had them in Australia. What super animals... and a super photo too! Talking of photos and...

I found the desiccated remains of a Grey Headed Flying Fox and sketched it in my nature journal.

... I tend to do the same - except I use photography or just save the bodies. In the old days, when I used to use a Canon AE1 film camera, I'd take my negs into Supersnaps for processing, because they were cheap. I received some funny looks, at least once - a dead Little Owl and a dead Fox. But the best was opening the packet to find one photo sitting in a card frame that read, "This photo would make a great enlargement". The photo in question was of a dead badger, propped up on bricks to give it a sense of being upright, and its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. I never actually drew it, but any time I need detail for a badger...

[Laurene]

LOL! That’s a time honoured way for artists to get wildlife references of course. Actually many of the best ones were hunters too who would pose their kills. After they got their reference sketches, the meat generally didn’t go to waste especially in the case of large prey.

Can you imagine posting a picture like that in our PC world nowadays though?! Boy, times have really changed, but this is what a true scientist and artist would do.

[PogArtTi]

Below are a couple of photos I took.
Later that summer, during a hot spell, I found the desiccated remains of Grey Headed Flying Fox and sketched it in my nature journal.

Wow, what a beauties living near by you Linda!!!
(I assume that Bendigo is in your area somewhere?)

[LindasPencils]

I assume that Bendigo is in your area somewhere?

Well Pogs... it sort of depends on your point of view. Here in Australia, things are a LONG way away from each other. It's a big country. So I think that Bendigo is really fairly close at a 2.5 hour drive away. However, some might think that long a drive means an overnight stay and take a cut lunch!

[PogArtTi]

Well Pogs... it sort of depends on your point of view. Here in Australia, things are a LONG way away from each other. It's a big country. So I think that Bendigo is really fairly close at a 2.5 hour drive away. However, some might think that long a drive means an overnight stay and take a cut lunch!

I see hahaha hahahah
Yeah, from my point of view that bit over two hours of driving would bring me to the UK's sea side to its one or the other side, because I'm living kind of at the middle (Bradford West Yorkshire)
You know...
All my life I was dreaming of visiting countries all around the world...
I'm 49 and it's covid trouble now everywhere, and I feel I've missed the time given to go places...
Also instead of saving money for holidays that I was dreaming of, I'm paying off my debts, and working overtimes to buy general things, like the cloths for my inline skating at present for example.
But the day will come, and even though I won't be able to go everywhere, I will try to visit multiple places, and my number one on the list is Australia