A quarter million (250,000) Mexican Free-tail bats live throughout the Waugh Drive bridge crevices and they emerge starting at dusk for many hours from beneath the bridge.
This bridge spans Buffalo Bayou between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive less than a mile from downtown Houston, Texas zip 77019.
Look for the tall building with the American Flag on the top. The American General tower is directly across Allen Parkway from the bat viewing platform.
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The bridge serves as a natural habitat for an estimated 250 thousand Mexican Free-tail bats including about 1200 pups during June & July.
Visitors peer down at the bats emerging from the bridge in daylight. Note the brake lights as drivers pause to see what is going on!.
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.
VISIT ANY TIME - NO CHARGE - BEST TIME IS FROM SUNSET UNTIL DARK
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Hi,
Just though you might want to know, we've been picking up the Waugh Drive bats very clearly on our weather radar.
I linked to your webpage in a post on my Houston
Weather Blog:
http://weatherblog.abc13.com/2008/04/bats-on-megadop.html
Tim Heller, Chief Meteorologist
KTRK ABC 13
3310 Bissonet
Houston, Texas 77005
Webpage: www.abc13.com
Phone: 713-666-0713
P.S. Check out the Houston WeatherBlog: www.weatherblog.abc13.com
Latest photo of the bats snuggled into the
bridge crevices under the Waugh street bridge.
No, it is not a bus stop, although I saw a greyhound recently inspecting the area.
The City of Houston, with a grant from Lyondell Chemical, built this platform so visitors could have a level place to stand apart from the bikers and joggers using the trail by the bridge.
From the platform you can view the bats dropping from crevices under the bridge to begin their nightly exodus.
Signage, thanks to donations from the Hershey Foundation, Houston Endowment, Bat Conservation International, Texas Parks & Wildlife.
2/1/12: Presently, the walkway along the west side of the platform is blocked, I suppose, for construction of a new walkway down to the bridge.
Same for the other side of the bridge.
It was a great emergence....until the Red-tailed hawk flew through the stream of bats picking and choosing for an evening snack!!
The bats gushed from the bridge at 8:17 pm, two minutes before sunset. They streamed East; then after the Red-tailed hawk flew through, the bat stream lifted and turned north and flew above the towers.
Visitors got a chance to view a Mexican Free-tailed bat up close in a exhibit display furnished by Texas Parks & Wildlife.
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 can 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 - Information about the Waugh bats will be given by Texas Parks & Wildlife staff & TPWD volunteers (Houston Bat Project team members).
NOTE: On evenings with temperatures 49° or colder, bats probably won't emerge.
COME MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS - SEE AND HEAR ABOUT THE BATS on the 1st & 3rd Friday nights.
Friday, Jan 20, 2012 - bat chat was held at 5:28 pm
Although the temp was around 70°, many bats flew back and forth beneath the bridge as there was a 15 to 26 mph wind blowing from the southeast. A small number of visitors trickled by as we patiently waited for the bats to emerge.
Friday, Feb 3, 2012 - bat chat at 5:40 pm
Friday, Feb 17, 2012 - bat chat at 5:51 pm
Friday, Mar 2, 2012 - bat chat at 6:01 pm
Friday, Mar 16, 2012 - bat chat at 7:10 pm
Friday, Apr 6, 2012 - bat chat at 7:23 pm
HOUSTON BAT FEST - APRIL 14 & 15, 2012
Sunset for both days - 7:48 pm
Diana Foss, Texas Parks & Wildlife
Urban Wildlife Biologist
281-456-7029, Ext 21
Sheldon Lake State Park
WEATHER DATA at WAUGH STREET 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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