Up to 250 thousand Mexican Free-tail bats emerge at dusk from the Waugh Street bridge crevices.
This bridge spans Buffalo Bayou between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive less than a mile from downtown Houston, Texas.
Look for the tall building with the American Flag on the top. The AIG tower is directly across the street from the bat viewing platform.
WATCH THE BATS FLY OVER your HEAD!!!
The Buffalo Bayou Partnership will be starting their 2010 period of boat trips on their new pontoon boat with bat tours on the bayou.
Board boat at Sabine Promenade boat dock - boat capacity 20 - 22 plus captain & Waugh Bats tour guides.
These trips normally occur on the evening of the 2nd Friday of the month from March thru October.
Contact BuffaloBayou.org for times & cost.
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Bats poured from the bridge and flew right over the delighted kids and adults on the SS Osprey tonight, 10 Oct 2009. During the emergence, a red-tailed hawk flew low over the bayou into the stream of bats to grab a bite. Another thrilling night on Buffalo Bayou.
The bridge serves as a natural habitat for an estimated 250 thousand Mexican Free-tail bats including about 1200 pups.
Visitors peer down at the bats emerging from the bridge in daylight on Sunday, 17 Feb 2008. Note the brake lights as drivers pause to watch.
Special thanks to The Houston Endowment, The Hershey Foundation, Bat Conservation International & Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for the signage installed at Houston's Waugh Bat Colony.
Latest photo of the bats snuggled into the
bridge crevices under the Waugh street bridge.
WAUGH BATS ON LOCAL RADAR
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It was a great spectacle!
The bats gushed from the bridge at 8:17 pm, 2 minutes before sunset. They streamed East; then lifted up and turned South and flew between the towers.
Visitors got a chance to view a Mexican Free-tailed bat up close in a exhibit display furnished by Texas Parks & Wildlife.
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In the photograph - Diana Foss with Texas Parks & Wildlife, gives a presentation about bats to those gathered on the bat viewing platform.
Please meet on the East side of the Waugh Street bridge at Allen Parkway by the bat viewing platform to see and hear about bats.
From the platform, there are good views of the bats dropping from the bridge crevices to begin their nightly excursions.
After the presentation, we'll move up on to the bridge where we can look down on the bats emerging and flying out along the bayou.
PRESENTATIONS - 20 MINUTES BEFORE SUNSET - about the Waugh Street Bats will be given by Texas Parks & Wildlife staff & volunteers (Houston Bat Project team members).
COME MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS - SEE AND HEAR ABOUT THE BATS on the 1st & 3rd Friday and Saturday nights.
PLEASE check the weather - IF Raining, BATS MAY NOT EMERGE
Bats leave the bridge at their own discretion, however the best time is just before twilight and on to dark. On 10/17 a few flew at 7:08 and the main emergence occured at 7:10 four minutes before twilight.
Friday, Nov 20 - sunset 5:24pm, twilight 5:49pm
Saturday, Nov 21 - sunset 5:23pm, twilight 5:49pm
Friday, Dec 4 - sunset 5:21pm, twilight 5:47pm
Saturday, Dec 5 - sunset 5:21pm, twilight 5:47pm
Friday, Dec 18 - sunset 5:25pm, twilight 5:51pm
Saturday, Dec 19 - sunset 5:25pm, twilight 5:51pm
MERRY CHRISTMAS
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Diana Foss, tpwd
Urban Wildlife Biologist
281-456-7029, Ext 21
Sheldon Lake State Park
WEATHER DATA at WAUGH DR BRIDGE
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Initial flight of Mexican Free-tails emerge into the darkening skies from the Waugh Street bridge. A cloud formation still has enough whiteness to allow us to see the black bats fly by as they stretch their wings and search for that evening snack.
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