Bats on the wing

Today started with another meeting about Commonground. We're very close to the outcome of these transitional meetings, so it's quite exciting that things are starting to take shape properly.

I got a bit stumped after that... I'd intended to buy a photography magazine and sit and have a coffee and some lunch in the sun, but by the time I got to the newsagent's it was shut and I didn't make it to any others in time either. Not the best planning on my behalf really!

I ended up going for a coffee and a galette instead before setting off for Yarra Bend Park. Despite the fact that it's just around the corner, I'd never really been into it, and I was amazed at how big it actually is. My main reason for going today was to try and get some shots of the fruit bats (AKA flying foxes) that have a colony down there (after they were moved from the botanical gardens). This was all good in theory, but I entered the park from the wrong side and ended up walking nearly 45 minutes to get to where the viewing platform is. No major problem (I like a good walk, especially on a nice day like today!), but I just hadn't really planned for it.

Anyway, to say that there are a lot of bats there is an understatement. I'm used to seeing them fly over our garden (really hard to photograph in the dark though!), but not in these numbers! Most of them were just hanging around, but they were nearly all on the other side of the river, meaning that I had to use my 70-300mm lens at full extension. Things were exacerbated by the clouds moving in and blowing out the highlights, so I wasn't as happy with the shots as I'd have liked. I got some nice close ups, but focus was a little soft, so I decided to go with this one instead. I'll definitely swing my again though... maybe next time at sun down and I can get the mass exodus!

Hope you've all had blipping good weekends!