Searching for Batman in Austin

A coworker and I were sent on a whirlwind trip from Philadelphia to Austin, Texas and back in just about 24 hours. We had work to accomplish and people to meet but we found a few extra minutes to ride the bus to downtown Austin, headed toward some yummy seafood and some of the live music Austin is known for. On the way we just happened to discover that Austin, Texas has the "largest urban bat population in the world". The 1.5 million bats that live under Congress Bridge in Austin emerge each evening at dusk. They move together downriver in search of a mosquito meal. Throughout the summer they predictably emerge together from their homes under the bridge and are an astounding site.

On our way downtown for dinner the city bus just happened to take us over Congress Bridge. As we crossed the bridge we saw people crowding the banks of the river, filling "bat cruise boats" and others lining the edges of the bridge. Finally at the site of a souvenir stand I stood and pulled the bus stop cord knowing that this was a site not to be missed.

We ran to the bridge and ....waited. We waited..waited...waited. One young boy, with his grandmother, was excitedly creating stories about what would happen when the bats appeared. "Grandma, what if....one of the bats comes out of the holes under the bridge... and he's THIS BIG (little arms outstretched)and what if he comes up over the bridge, comes over to me, lands near me- and its BATMAN! (eyes wide). I would just go eeeehhhh (as he collapsed into his grandmother's arms).

The little boy's excitement spread through the rest of the crowd as the first bat's began to emerge as predicted just as the sun fell below the horizon. Bats flew out circling around- they started appearing from underneath Congress Bridge- one side to the other- like a coordinated Bat Wave at a sporting event. They were incredibly thick- Flying up, out and over us. You could actually Smell their musty odor and hear them flapping and squeaking. As they moved together down the river- they were as think as smoke and you could them in streams of black against the darkening sky all the way down the river.

I was fascinated- staring at them moving off into the distance, watching their graceful yet hyper movements. My coworker, not the biggest fan of what he called "flying rats" had backed almost into the middle of the busy road- avoiding getting too close to the swirling bats preferring to risk his life in traffic- an opponent with which he was more familiar. However, even he was excited and intrigued by the site of so many animals moving in coordinated motion.

So if you happen to hit Austin one summer evening, take a stroll, or a city bus over the Congress bridge in downtown. Don't miss the largest urban bat population in the WORLD.