As she looked up at a small colony of flying foxes hanging from the trees at Blackalls Park, Ann Morgan's face was clouded with concern.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
For it was what she couldn't see that saddened Miss Morgan.
"Last year there were bats everywhere through here," she said, as she glanced over to another stand of trees. "There's nothing down there this year. Nothing."
What she should be seeing, Miss Morgan explained, were many more flying foxes, including mothers with their babies, in this patch of bushland by Stony Creek, near the western shores of Lake Macquarie.
"Last year, we estimate we had 5000 to 6000 here, which is typical for what's a maternity colony," she said.
"We've probably got 200 here at the very moment."
Ann Morgan is a member of Hunter Wildlife Rescue. Last summer, she and fellow volunteers ventured into the bush to save flying foxes dropping to the ground, due to starvation and the heat. They saved many. But, according to Miss Morgan, more than 5000 were lost.
"I'm devastated," she said.
The decimation of flying fox populations played out across the region during the dreadful 2019/2020 summer.
"We did lose more than 25,000 in just the Lower Hunter," said Judith Hopper, Flying Fox Disaster Coordinator for Hunter Wildlife Rescue.
"It was the compound effect of three years of drought, which means starvation, on top of the heat stress."
Judith Hopper and her team have been monitoring the return, or non-return, of the flying foxes to local camps. Tocal lost about 10,000 last summer; only a few hundred have returned, Ms Hopper said. East Cessnock's population of about 5000 had been more than halved. Trees in the Tenambit camp had been "chopped down" to make way for a development.
At least the East Gresford camp has seen about 8000 flying foxes return.
Judith Hopper despairs for the flying foxes' future, saying "I don't know if they can recover", and she is "terrified" of another hot summer.
Afterall, she barely slept last summer, tending to sick and injured animals around the clock. In just six weeks, Ms Hopper had about 300 baby flying foxes in care at her Millfield home.
"I feel sick when I think about it," Ms Hopper said. "I couldn't go through another one like last year."
During the blast of hot weather last weekend, Ann Morgan and other volunteers from the wildlife group returned to Blackalls Park to spray water on the flying foxes and rescue any that had dropped.
On a brighter note, good rainfall this year has meant the blossoming of food sources for flying foxes, with flowering and fruiting plants.
"These ones are in reasonably good condition," she said, looking up at the colony. "Which means mums have a better chance with their babies."
Ann Morgan has helped give one baby a chance. Newborn Leila was brought into her care about five weeks ago, weighing 74 grams. Leila's mother had dropped her while giving birth.
Miss Morgan feared the little one wouldn't survive. But Leila is thriving and is now with another carer.
"That little girl gave me so much joy," Miss Morgan said. "That she survives gives me hope for the future.
"That's our hope."
Read more:
For faster access to the latest Newcastle news download our NEWCASTLE HERALD APP and sign up for breaking news, sport and what's on sent directly to your email
IN THE NEWS
