Bats!

The bats under the Congress Avenue (Ann Richards) Bridge aren't practicing social distancing. My friend Mary captured this from her Rainey Street Condo. Her views are fantastic!

Bats at Trader Joes

Trader Joes on Third tries to seem less California and more Austin with things like this bat mural.

Batwatch

A lot of people seem to think it's a good idea to be underneath a huge flock of bats that emerges from under the Congress Avenue Bridge each night. This group of people was eagerly awaiting the event.

This Bat Isn't Flying Tonight

Although it's sunset and the little guys have mostly flown, one very large mammal remains suspended upside down from the Congress Avenue Bridge but wait...is that? A cow?!

Bats!

We took one of those boat cruises on Lady Bird Lake last night with a group of people from one of our causes. People tried to capture sunset, bats and night time skylines with their phones and point and shoot cameras. I wasn't immune. I liked this one. The bats are making a '<' sign on the left side of the picture. That is, of course, our building (The 360) above the fellow with the glasses.

Bats on the Bridge...Cow

I like the image of people on the bridge watching the bats. Reminds me of this wonderful picture our friend Jackie took.

Might Have Rabies

You know we have that huge bat population? Well if you find one on the ground there's some chance it is a little dead rabid animal. So do not touch. This sign under the Congress Avenue Bridge (the primary home of a million or so of them this time of year) warns you.

Cow Sports an Austin Symbol

This cow has a depiction of the nightly bat flight from the Congress Avenue Bridge that we experience this time of year. Our Mexican Free Tail Bats eat tons of insects in the warm months when they are with us and having pups to swell their flock which numbers around a million. This cow is one of the herd on Auditorium Shores.

Batty

This giant bat that appears to be emerging from a garage near Rainey Street is actually a bat bike (I know that makes you feel better) which is part of the Austin Bike Zoo. The vehicles seem to reside all over the neighborhood since the G'Raj Mahal food trailer took over part of the space where they used to be when not out in the wild. We've shown you the grasshopper over there and we've shown the bat, too, but it didn't look this scary.

Bat Season Ending

That smudge in the sky? Thousands of bats. This was taken on a bat cruise by our friend Jackie. Unless you stand directly on or under the bridge (Congress Avenue Ann Richards) what you see when our Mexican Free Tail Bats fly is a huge drawing on the sky like someone sketched with a charcoal pencil only it's moving. They will be gone soon (they are here April-October approximately). These guys and a million or so friends will move to Mexico for what passes for winter here and come back in the spring to pup and eat tons of mosquitoes. And we love them for it.

By the way, we saw a group returning from feeding the other day and it was enough after first light that they were visible.

Austin Bike Zoo Home

One day the Austin Bike Zoo was assembled in Republic Park and we showed you a picture. Not long ago we found where the animals in the zoo stay when they aren't out and about. This bat was stopped over near Rainey street near an old house and shop.

The Bat

Have I mentioned the bats? They live under the Congress Avenue Bridge in season. This giant tribute to them (which moves around with the breeze) is at South Congress and Barton Springs. The mannequins are inside a cool shop called Your Living Room.