Friday night 7/31/26, fifteen of us from the Houston Canoe Club and Houston
Assoc. of Sea Kayakers did the famous Buffalo Bayou Partnership cruise from
Allen’s Landing to the Waugh St. Bridge to watch the bats fly out!
Time 7:30 to 9:00 pm. Fabulous! Very peaceful. Great views of the City twilight and night.
Very interesting vistas on and around the Bayou.
I’ve paddled that stretch many times, but it’s wonderfully different when you’re on a comfy little party boat and someone else is driving! Highly recommend!
We anchored just downstream from the bridge which gave us a great vantage point. The bats suddenly started streaming out in hoards shortly after 8 pm like someone just flicked a switch. The egress continued for a good half hour. Amazing display.
Interesting facts:
- An estimated 300,000 Mexican Free-Tailed Bats live in the Waugh Bridge Colony. The I-beam construction attracts them.
- All are females and babies. The males all live in other colonies.
- Mothers sing a song to their baby still in the womb. Baby learns the song and repeats it back so mama can locate. Typically mamas and babies do not roost together.
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- Predatory egrets and hawks gather around the bridge like clockwork and devour quantities of bats as they fly out.
Link - Bat Trip