Nd Hill Nature Observation

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is now one of my favorite places in St. Petersburg! This field trip was a nice break from the fast-paced urban lifestyle that I have been living since moving away from home. Our excursion began at the bird-of-prey aviary. There were several types of birds at the aviary: eastern screech owls, turkey vultures, barred owls, great horned owls, and a bald eagle, to name a few. At the aviary, I learned that barred owls are best known for a call that sounds like, "Who cooks for you… Who cooks for you-all?"
After the aviary we began our hike. Along the trail we saw a leopard frog and then saw a few juvenile alligators in a low-lying swamp area. The diversity of tropical plants along the trail was also very exciting. During the excursion our guide used a heterodyne bat detector to identify two species of bats: northern yellow and freetail. She also located wolf spiders by using a flashlight, and scorpions by using a black light. I was amazed to learn that certain types of scorpions glow in UV light, like that from a black light. …show more content…
According to our guide, anthropogenic activities in/around the lake led to vast amounts of salt water flooding the lake, and as a result, ruined the natural ecosystem. Subsequent herbicide and pesticide runoff from surrounding lawns (i.e. golf courses) also adds to this ecological destruction. The trip concluded in the Boyd Hill Environmental Center, where the group had the opportunity to examine an evening bat. Overall, I had a wonderful experience at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. I am considering volunteering at the preserve in the