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Believe it or not this is a swarm of bats. They emerge at sunset - all 1.5 million of them!

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They're flying out in search of food, such as mosquitoes.

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More bat swarms.

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We're in the boat under the bridge, and above are many bats and observers.

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After the boat ride we walked along the river bank under the bridge for another view. It was pitch blank, but we could hear them. Luckily I brought my flash attachment. I'd guess where to aim the camera, and fire away.

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Most bats don't have rabies, but apparently those that do tend to flap around on the ground. So here's a sign recommending visitors not to play with them.

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Those crevices above are where the bats live.

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Each night the whole colony eats 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects, keeping Austin essentially free of pesky bugs. It's the "World's largest urban bat colony" according to the signs.

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At first the locals didn't like the bats, but they've grown to become a huge tourist attraction. Recently another bridge was built down the river, and they intentionally built it to attract even more bats!

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Here's a bird watching the bats. He seems a bit dazed.

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Shooting close-ups was tough since it was so dark I had nothing to aim at. (Not to mention manually focusing against a concrete bridge without light!) Here's one reasonable close-up, a bit out of focus but not bad.

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I'd love to be under the bridge for when the largest swarms of bats fly out. These were all the stragglers, or those with the job of staying home and protecting the nests.

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We made a brief visit to the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library here in Austin. We only saw half the museum so we could get back downtown for a Duck Tour.

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A quote in the lobby.

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A sign beside this car reads "This mind condition 1910 Model T Ford was given to President Johnson by Henry Ford II. It is similar to the Model T that served as the family car for the Johnsons during the boyhood of young Lyndon."

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Another angle of the car.

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Bronze of President Johnson.

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Upstairs in the Library is an Oval Office replica. The room itself is 7/8ths the size of the real thing, but the furniture is real.

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More Oval Office furniture.

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Here's a Hirschfeld drawing of Lady Bird Johnson.