In Austin, there seems to be a festival for just about everything, and on August 19, residents will gather to celebrate our resident colony of Mexican free-tail bats at the 13th Annual Bat Fest. Bat Fest will take place on the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge from 4pm – 12am and will feature three stages with live music, more than 75 arts and crafts vendors, food and drink, children’s activities, a bat costume contest and other bat activities.
So where did these bats come from, anyway? And how did some 1.5 million mammals—the largest urban bat colony in the world, and typically associated with cave habitats—come to dwell in the spaces under the Congress Avenue Bridge?
In 1980, when the road was rebuilt over Congress Avenue Bridge, engineers created small gaps on the underside of the bridge, inadvertently creating a bat habitat in the process. The bats migrate from Mexico to Central Texas in early spring and depart when the first cold front arrives in the fall. During these months, in addition to the bridge, they can be found in many locations, such as Bracken Cave near San Antonio.
Summer is the peak season for bat watchers because female bats typically give birth in June, with the pups being ready to fly by mid-August. Viewers can watch the bats emerge from under the bridge around dusk to head out on their nightly foraging adventure from the land or the water. Capital Cruises and Lone Star Riverboat both offer hour-long, leisurely sunset cruises around Lady Bird Lake that include bat watching. Another option is to rent a kayak or canoe and paddle yourself. Congress Avenue Kayaks, located at the boat dock on the north shore just east of the Four Seasons Hotel, is the closest rental option.
The bats head east when they emerge, so if checking them out by land is more your style, the most popular spots are either on the east side of the bridge itself or on the south shore in the park next to the Austin American-Statesman newspaper, where the publication hosts the Statesman Bat Observation Center. Just know that both the viewing space and parking are limited, so plan ahead. Also, all aspiring bat watchers should know that flights are not guaranteed, as the bats are sensitive to weather and other conditions.
On a good night, though, the majestic nocturnal emergence is a marvel to behold.
Photo Credit: Austin Downtown Diary, http://austindowntowndiary.com/festivals/batfest-2012/
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