So The Thing About Bats Is…

August 4, 2014


…they don’t come out until it’s dark. Which is why this picture is so lousy – there is not a big enough ISO in the world to capture quickly-moving objects after nightfall.

Those tiny shiny things? Those are them.

What you’re looking at is the evening emergence of the over a million Mexican free-tailed bats that make their summer roost under the South Congress Bridge in Austin, Texas. I’ve been to Texas many times since my grandparents moved there, but this was the first chance I’d had to view the bats, and it was amazing.

Well, that’s not entirely true. First it was boring. The bats keep to their own schedule, and the best predictions of emergence time are within an hour’s window. Plus you have to get there early if you want to find a place to park. There are a few things to do while standing around, though, like take pictures of the sunset.

Mmm. Pretty.

Mmm. Pretty.

About half an hour after I snapped this shot, the show began. Bats emerged, at first alone or in pairs. These early risers (the early bat gets the moth?) trickled out for ten or fifteen minutes before the floodgates opened. Bats, bats, everywhere! In an age where so many species (including bat species) are threatened or endangered, it was humbling and awe-inspiring to witness the sheer number of creatures pouring out from under the bridge. Not to mention a lot of fun. In addition to all of the ecological benefits bats provide, it’s hilarious watching them fly. The basic bat approach to aerodynamics seems to be “Am I flying? Am I falling? I have no idea! Flapping! MORE FLAPPING!” But hey, whatever works!

Have you ever seen the Texas bats? Are there bats where you live? Are you a bat-fan, or do they creep you out just a little bit? Share in the comments!

If you’re interested in migratory species other than bats, check out my animal migration books, for ages 6-9. Also, Junior Library Guild just featured my book for middle readers, Scientific Method in the Real World. Thanks, JLG!



12 Comments on ‘So The Thing About Bats Is…’

  1. Glad you got to see some!

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    1. Me too – it was a blast!

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  2. I love bats! So cute!

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    1. Aren’t they? Faces only another bat could love.

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  3. We love the bats in Austin! While I was at RWA, my family was checking those bats out. Wouldn’t that be cool if y’all went the same night?!

    I showed Mockingbird this post. She thinks you’re awesome. She said your description of watching the bats fly is perfect. LOL

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    1. Ha! I’m glad Mockingbird liked my bat description – they really do look like they’re a breath away from utter disaster!

      We were there the night before the conference, so we probably missed your family. That would have been cool, though. 🙂

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  4. I’ve had the welcome mat out for bats for the last six years: a lovely bat house placed up high on the west-ish facing expanse of our barn. But we’ll have to turn on the neon Vacancy sign, I guess. I remember watching them as a kid in East Orange, NJ (major metropolitan area, 45 minutes from NYC). They’d come out in droves at dusk and I knew they were ridding my neighborhood of mosquitoes, among others. I adored them. Still do. Just wish I had some. My mosquitoes are taking over.

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    1. We’re thinking of building a bat house, too, Janet, but I’m not sure how many takers we’d get. Nova Scotia bats are having a terrible time with white nose fungus, unfortunately…

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  5. We live next to the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. There are several bat caves out here and they love the river so after sun down we always have bats. Love them. We don’t have a problem with many of the pest people have to deal with because the bats eat them. YAY bats.

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    1. YAY bats, indeed! They are so good for the environment – not to mention good for entertainment.

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