We're on the same page here, jo mama, although I do enjoy the Salt Lick from time to time. Sure, their BBQ isn't up to the standard set by several other places here in Austin and the area, and isn't up to the standard they once had many years ago, for that matter, but I like their sauce. The bats? Don't stand under their flight path, folks. They will poop on you!
for Houstonians...the Waugh Bridge at Allen Parkway is also a bat colony. Much shorter bridge than Congress in Austin, but they are at their max under that bridge. They do the vortex spiral at dusk waiting for all to join, then take off to the fields. While the vortex seems like chaos, when they leave they are in clear sets of wing squadrons. It's also cool to see the hawks fly in to get some. <img src="https://static.panoramio.com.storage.googleapis.com/photos/large/67973913.jpg" width=800>
There is also a bat colony on the Boheme bridge over Beltway 8. They fly down to the bayou at sunset. The great thing about this group is you can park 100 feet from the bridge and there are 0 people there every evening, great for kids. The parking is on Isolde Drive behind the sound wall, left on Isolde from Boheme/Electra, go down to the cul-de-sac to turn around and parallel park on the street. There is a bench on the walkway to Tinsley park but I like to be right behind the fence by the Beltway so the all fly right over my head. I just started watching this group this year so I do not know if the migrate in Winter. The Waugh group does not but I believe the Austin group does.
The Waugh group you can stand directly above them on the bridge or under and watch them leave,,,as the picture within the picture above shows. Another great thing about the Waugh colony, is that it is next to the Dog Park on Allen Parkway. So, those who walk their dog(s) there can watch the bats at the end of your walk.
Those city bats are for amateurs, it's all about Bracken Cave, the largest bat colony in the world. http://www.batcon.org/our-work/regions/usa-canada/protect-mega-populations/bracken-cave
