Grey-headed Flying Fox

Grey-headed Flying Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) - A fruit bat native to Australia. They are brown, with varying shades of grey on their head and back. Although mainland Australia has 75 different species of bats, the 4 species of fruit bats are the largest with some being the largest known bats in the world. They have a wingspan of 1m (over 3ft) wide. Although mating happens year round, the female will only produce one baby in April. They have a lifespan in the wild of 15-20 years.

Around dusk, the bats will leave their roost to travel at night to feed on pollen, nectar and fruit. This amazing natural phenomenon is a spectacular sight as thousands of bats leave their colonies from trees along the coastal region. Grey-headed Flying Foxes can be seen roosting in the trees of the Royal Botanic Gardens and urban parks in Sydney.

Sydney Bats - click on this link 'Flying Fox' to see an Australian website for more information on this threatened and vulnerable species.

April 12 - Earthshine

Earthshine - Sunlight reflected from the Earth, especially reflected to the Moon and back again. For a few days before and after New Moon, this doubly reflected earthshine is powerful enough to make the whole Moon visible.

April 6 - Small Frys

Small Frys - Butterflies that emerge from their chrysalises in spring are often smaller than those that emerge in summer or fall. These early butterflies have spent the winter as a chrysalis in a dormant state called diapause.