Since there are thousands of ecolog subscribers in Austin this week, I thought some folks might be interested to know that there are thousands of purple martins gathering each evening near the closed Highland Mall, about a 15 minute drive from the conference center. A friend who lives in Austin took me there last night and it was spectacular! There were only a handful of other people there watching so I don't think many people know about it. I think it's on par with the Congress Avenue bat emergence.
If you want to see it, go to the intersection of E Highland Mall Blvd and Jonathan Drive between 8:00 and 8:45 pm. The birds had all settled in the trees by about 8:45 last night. Google Maps location<http://maps.google.com/maps/place?ftid=0x8644ca3c6d7e3b99:0x1853d3f475622dce&q=jonathan+drive+and+E+highland+mall+blvd,+austin+tx&hl=en&gl=us&ved=0CA4Q-gswAA&sa=X&ei=UqNBTtiVJp24yAX19MGPBg> I found a youtube video that should give you an idea of what it's like, and it has some useful tips. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GosxVmCnerM Google can give you directions to get there on public transit. A mall parking lot isn't the most scenic location, but it was an awesome sight nonetheless. Bring your camera! Happy conferencing, ecologgers! -- Carrie E. Seltzer Ph.D. Candidate Ecology & Evolution Department of Biological Science M/C 066 University of Illinois at Chicago 845 W. Taylor Street Chicago, IL 60607-7060 USA
