http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10852 Austin has the world's biggest urban bat colony. Do they ever bother you or do they rarely stray from the bridge?
i saw more bats growing up in houston than i do in austin. seeing the bats at congress bridge is like going to the salt lick...i only do it when out-of-towners want to go. i can generally talk people out of salt lick though!
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We live in far north Austin area with a small lake behind our house and get bats around the lake that come from the Round Rock and Georgetown area to feed. I can't remember the last time I got bit by a mosquito. Love the bats.
You sometimes see them flying around at night near downtown but not as much as you would think since they reach 1 .5 million in population under that bridge in late summer.
I lived in Round Rock and routinely saw the McNeil Bridge bats. They were a welcome site as it meant fewer mosquitoes. Unfortunately for us, they always went east and we lived on the west side of I-35. They were neat to see, even after years of it. The only bad things were if you were driving by with your windows down because of the smell and that they didn't stop crime.
I work at the Austin American Statesman which is right next to the bat bridge and ive never come in contact with them
Not one mention of the Waugh street bridge? Austin's colony may be larger, but Houston's lives there year around
Bats would always skim the top of the pool at night. Picking off all the mosquitos etc. It was scary being in the pool .
I lived in South Austin for a long time and I don't ever remember getting bit by a mosquito. The bats do their job well.
The Congress bridge is a better setting, but the McNeil bridge has more bats. Both are fun to bring out of towners to. Pretty crazy if you've never seen it before!