Wanted: 1st hand experience viewing the bats of texas - Wild Texas Forums: Parks, Travel & Recreation

oldude51 · 07-14-2006, 12:07 PM

looking for any do's/dont's, how to, what to do and so on and of course the wheres to see the bats taking flight.

Orllas · 07-14-2006, 04:35 PM

I can't speak for any of the public places that offer bat watching tours but my parents live just down the road from the Bracken Bat Cave (which is very near Natural Bridge Caverns). My wife wanted to see the bats take flight when we were there last September. We went out on two occasions. Unfortunately, Bracken is privately owned so we couldn't drive right up to the cave. We waited at the entrance gate to Natural Bridge about 30 minutes before sunset. The first night, the bats headed off in a generally east/southeast direction. From where we watched, it looked like waves of smoke drifting across the sky. (Binoculars would have helped.) The second night, we didn't see anything so I have to assume that they headed off either in a southerly or westerly direction. It just depends on the particular night where they decide to fly.

We enjoyed the first night but it really wasn't what my wife was expecting as she wanted to see them closer up. Your best bet would be to try to see them at a cave that caters to watchers. Hopefully someone else can give you better info along those lines.

ploddinTod · 07-14-2006, 05:26 PM

How about the Congress Street bridge in Austin near downtown? Perhaps some Austinites will elaborate. All I know is that the bats roost under the bridge and take flight at dusk. People gather every night to watch.

If you're ever up at Carlsbad Caverns NP in southern NM, you'll want to catch the bat flight at the ampitheater which is situated right at the opening of one of the caves. To watch the bats spiral out of the cave is like witnessing a column of smoke rising to the sky. It's very impressive.

happybooker1 · 07-14-2006, 06:27 PM

I went w/my daughter many, MANY moons ago to the 6th st. bridge in Austin. If you look up 'bats' in the austin phone book they list the number for the bat 'people' and you can call the number & get a recording of each night when they're supposed to fly out.

It was awesome -- looked like a picnic going on. There were about 50-75 people the night we went, plus a bat expert was there to answer questions. We had a nice time. THe bats appeared right on schedule, waves and waves of them right over our heads! Looked like a black river in the sky. We ran up to the bridge and could see them from the top also. Incredible!

campermom · 07-14-2006, 08:17 PM

Just Googled this information

Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area 1-866-978-2287 ( Hill Country area)
Eckert James River Bat Cave Mason TX www.nature.com
Devils Sinkhole State Natural Area TPWD, SW of San ANtonio
Clarity Tunnel, in Caprock Canyon State Park, TPWD, e of Amarillo
Congress Ave Bridge, Austin TX
Frio Cave, Concan TX 830-866-2320

There was a cave on the campus of SWTSU ( San Marcos), on west campus near College Inn dorm, the Home Ec buidling, and the cafeteria. Not sure if it was destroyed building parking lots or not, It's been a while since I was there.

We would love to go see some bats but they are usually far from town and it turns into a late night. Haven't gone yet. Let us know if you get to go see some.

CyberCelt · 07-15-2006, 03:48 PM

Bracken Cave is owned by BCI. Here is the website and lots of info about viewing bats. Mexican Freetail bats winter in Mexico, so you have to take that into account in timing your viewing.

We went to Bracken Cave with a tour arranged by a college. We sat there as they came up out of the ground. It was awesome.

The bats under Congress Street bridge are there every night. You cannot miss them.

ploddinTod · 07-16-2006, 09:27 PM

Coincidental with this topic being "batted" around

, I was out trimming back the overgrown branches of my Redbud tree when I spotted a bat roosting in one of the upper branches. What was so cool about it was she had two or three babies clinging to her body as they slept during the daylight hours.

I didn't disturb them and made no attempt to climb a ladder to get a closer look. I was very hapy to have them in my backyard because the mosquitoes are very bad right now and I could use some help in dealing with them.

bn2shy · 07-18-2006, 04:26 PM

We put up a guard light attached under the eaves near the peak of our
roof top. We noticed at least 3 to 5 bats making wide flight paths around it at night catching bugs. So we found a bat house that we purchased at
Lowe's hoping to attract the bats to live in. We did all this last year. I would check during the day maybe 3 times a week, to see if we had any bats
yet. Well, it's probably been almost a year now....and last Saturday
afternoon, July 15, we were working outside, and I decided to look in it again
with the flashlight to see if there was any bats...

and "Oh my gosh!", there
was a bat in there that turned to look down at me!!!

I was so
excited!!! That was about 3PM. Later that evening we sat in our lawn
chairs and waited to see when he would fly out that evening. At 8:41PM
he flew out to join the other bats we had flying about already. Is was so
cool! We're hoping others will join this bat in his new home. (Actually we
don't know when he took up residence here). We have 2 bat houses on the
same pole at the time........just watching and waiting now.......

dwalsdorf · 07-19-2006, 11:33 AM

In SA and South Texas, turn on your pool light at night. Draws the bugs which draws the bats. We've even had the bats hit the water. Really fun when you are in too!

happybooker1 · 07-19-2006, 12:17 PM

Someone once taught me this: if you go outside at night when there's bats around and clap your hands rhymically it will confuse the bats' sonar & they will fly very close to you. Works like a charm.

BARBQ · 07-19-2006, 02:35 PM

the TPWD show that comes on every friday at 3PM had a bat special a few months ago.