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Tryon
Tryon
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3 out of 5
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The Famous Bats of Austin

  • May 7, 2003
  • Rated 3 of 5 by oogabooga from Austin, Texas
The Famous Bats of Austin

A really unique way to spend an evening in Austin is to head down to the Congress Avenue bridge around sundown. Here, the world's largest urban bat colony sleeps all day and swarms out at sunset. There are over 1.5 million bats living under the bridge, and each and every night, they leave to search out food.

You can park your car at the Austin American Statesman building on Congress Avenue after sundown for no charge, then you can either grab a seat on the grass or go up onto the bridge in order to watch the bats and take photos.

Usually, later in the summer, the bats come out a bit earlier, making them considerably easier to see. The pictures attached to this report do not show any bats, rather they show the pre-bat anticipation amongst the bat-fans in the audience.

From journal Yeehaw Austin

Congress Bridge Bats

  • May 6, 2003
  • Rated 3 of 5 by jremigio from Austin, Texas
An incredible wave of chirping black mosquito repellant, don't miss the millions of Mexican Freetail bats who emerge from underneath the Congress Ave bridge at dusk during the summer months. See them two separate nights, one from atop the bridge to see the black sheet of bats emerge from below, and the other from below the bridge to see them emerge from above.

From journal Music / Sun / Film / Fun

Editor Pick

The Bats of Congress Avenue Bridge

  • November 28, 2001
  • Rated 3 of 5 by nsalex from Austin, Texas
Every evening at sun down, millions of bats fly out from under the Congress street bridge. They sleep under there, all day, and at night come out to hunt bugs. Even for those that are grossed out by millions of bats, it really is a sight. Especially in August, when their population is the largest...on a good night it almost looks like a black cloud coming out from under the bridge.

From journal Spending time in Austin?

Editor Pick

The Bats of Congress Avenue Bridge

  • August 13, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Tryon from Austin, Texas
On any summer night, people line the Congress Avenue Bridge and the Town Lake jogging trail, preparing for the evening departure of the little denizens of the night, the Austin bats. Numbering between one and two million, they make up the largest urban bat colony in the world.

Each evening, at dusk, it happens. First, one bat flutters out. Then another. And another. Then it happens. Streaming out by the hundreds of thousands, they swarm to the East, away from the setting sun, to begin their nightly search for sustenance.

Within minutes, they are gone, floating to the East in great black clouds, devouring literally tons of insects each night before returning. This sight really shouldn't be missed; it's fascinating and more than a little awe-inspiring.

From journal Laid-Back in Austin, Texas

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