We are so happy to be a part of the wonderful Austin non-profit community!
Here is a great overview of all the creative organizations making a difference in the Austin area.
And our PSA by bat caregiver Kyndal Irwin is the second one, at the 10 minute mark of this 2 hour video, just before Rebecca Campbell with the Austin Film Society!

This little freebie male is one of 8 intakes this week and he’s been showing great flight skills in the aviary. We finally found him roosting with Taz the cave myotis and fed him full with bugs. This video shows him heading up into the bat box for soft-release. There is backup food and water and even lots of company with the wild freetails that have taken to the box this spring.
So go with God little bat; you were lots of fun!  Live and long and happy life!

Even with the Doppler radar out of commission, we know the free-tails are back because the phone’s been ringing off the hook all week! First-year pups returning from Mexico are ending up in unexpected places. This cutie was rescued from a downtown Austin office ceiling by Chantal. He’s fine, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Check out those feet! He’s got whiskers between his toes and brushes on the sides.

Talk about bats getting in unexpected places, we even have some in our bat box!  We thought it would never happen!  This is the first time we’ve had bats since it was put up five years ago!  They are super fast coming out of the box; this photo just barely caught one leaving.

Evening bat.  This time she took a big scoop of water.  Sometimes she just grazes the surface and has to stick her tongue down for a lick.  We love early evening in the flight cage!  

For the second consecutive night, Mexican free-tailed bats leave the Sierras and head to Eagle Pass, then up to the Uvalde area.
Frio Bat Cave (outside Uvalde) had it’s first large emergence of the year the next night.
View full screen in HD

True to her name this evening bat was out picking off moths well before dark.  Injuries made her just a little too slow to make it in the wild, but she loves hunting the flight cage!

Big bloom at D’Hanis Bridge, west of Hondo, the last few nights.  We’ve seen little activity there all winter until just recently.

Surprisingly large blooms from Fern Cave Stuart Cave and Old Tunnel at 7:30 pm last night.  Each bloom represents many hundreds of thousands of bats.
We expect big blooms from McNeil Bridge on warm winter nights, but in our experience it’s unusual to see such large blooms from the other roosts.

Win

The Flood family just became new members of the bat protection squad!
Thanks y’all for your act of compassion!

Here’s their post:

“We rescued this darling little Mexican Free-tailed bat earlier this evening as he was grounded in the middle of the road and nearly hit by several passing cars. We brought him home and called Lee and Diane at Austin Bat Refuge…they took him in and knew just what to do! 💕 Thankfully he had no broken bones and he seemed to be very healthy. Afer some TLC from Lee and Diane @ Austin Bat Refuge, it sounds like he’s going to be ok and will most likely be released back into the wild! 😊So thankful to them for all they do for these little guys… 💕If you ever find a grounded or injured bat, make sure to give them a call….and donate if you can! They have the biggest hearts for these little guys and do so much to house and care for the injured bats. Good people!!! Good cause!!! “