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Largest Urban Bat Colony In Austin Texas

We have two kinds of Bats here in Austin Texas. One kind is Austins very own Professional Hockey team called the Austin Ice Bats! In the ten years they have been playing in Austin they have accumulated a 209-97-22 record. They have consistently played before sellout crowds in Austin and are in the process of moving to a new facility. The history behind teams name is the subject of this posting.

http://www.icebats.com/

The Mexican Free-tail Bat has found that the Congress Street Bridge in Austin Texas is the best place to live! The bridge is home to the Largest Urban Bat Colony in the United States. When Engineers constructed the bridge in 1980 they never dreamed that the crevices underneath would make the ideal bat roost. It is now estimated that there are 1.5 million bats living beneath the bridge. Each night they consume between 10,000 and 20,000 pounds of insects in the immediate area.

Every afternoon at sunset they come spiraling out from beneath the bridge of ten looking like smoke as they rise because of their color. Sometimes it takes long as 45 minutes for them to completely leave the bridge. Then the next morning they return to to their hideaway.

They have become a popular tourist sight and are visited each year by about 100,000 visitor's seeking to watch them leave each afternoon.

http://www.texasfreeway.com/austin/photos/i35/i35_bats.shtml

http://www.austin360.com/search/content/events/special/bats.html

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/TXAUSbat.html

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/

http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp

dsmith93@AvalarAREA.com (512) 657-5943

Posted Saturday May 05
( 05/05/07 11:34AM ) — Abe Loper

very cool story.  I love it.  If I ever go to Austin I'll be sure to watch that.

( 05/05/07 11:36AM ) — Danny Smith

Abe, it's definetely a sight and something differant to do while here. Also it's free!

( 05/05/07 11:58AM ) — Tricia Jumonville, EcoBroker®, ASP®

The other day, I was driving on IH35 passing the other huge bat colony, the one under the bridge in Round Rock.  It was the right time of day and the bats, as usual, looked like clouds of smoke. 

Suddenly, a hawk that had been perched on one of the huge light standards lining the highway swooped down into the edge of one of the clouds and peeled off, bat in talon.  It was like shooting fish in a barrel! 

One of the more amazing things I've seen. 

 

( 05/05/07 12:42PM ) — Danny Smith

Hello Tricia, Yes I live in Round Rock and know which bridge your speaking about. I've had the displeasure of driving under it with my windows down after a rain storm. Not the best smell in the world.

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