YARRA BEND PARK, KEW

Yarra Bend Park is the largest area of natural bushland near the heart of Melbourne. The park features steep river escarpments, open woodlands, playing fields and golf courses.  The park can be explored by foot or by bike, there is boating on the river and one can enjoy superb views of the city skyline. Pleasant picnic areas, barbecues, rotundas and playgrounds make it popular with families. Meals, refreshments and boat hire are available at venues within the park.

The park is also the home of many species of flora and fauna, including being the major roost site of Grey Headed Flying Foxes (bats), which are  currently classified as a threatened species. Flying foxes are an example of the dire effects of altering our natural environment. Due to enormous rates of deforestation in Queensland and a greater food supply in south eastern Australia, Grey Headed Flying Foxes migrated down south and found a new habitat in Melbourne's Royal Botanical Gardens. Due to the public demand their removal form the Botanical Gardens, the State government coordinated a mass habitat relocation of the bats using sonar to direct them to possible habitats. The bats decided to choose Yarra Bend Park.


This post is part of the Scenic Sunday meme,
and also the Sunday Bridges meme.

Kayaking on the Yarra River that winds its way through the parklands 

Flying foxes roosting for the day on gum trees in the park

The Grey-headed Flying-Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) is a megabat native to Australia. The genus Pteropus currently has over 60 recognised species, which include the largest bats in the world

The Grey-Headed Flying-Fox is the largest bat in Australia. It is tailless with claws on its first and second digits. Since it does not echolocate, it relies on sight to locate its food (nectar, pollen and native fruits) and thus has large eyes

The Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) is a passerine bird native to Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and eastern Indonesia. It is a common and familiar bird throughout much of its range, living in most habitats apart from thick forest. Measuring 19.0–21.5 cm in length, the Willie Wagtail is contrastingly coloured with almost entirely black upperparts and white underparts; the male and female have similar plumage.