Birds of Prey and the Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

I started out this Big Year Challenge at the Naples Zoo.  I had assumed that there would be a lot of exotic birds, with which I could shortchange Genny in the very beginning of this competition.  I was mistaken.

However, this afternoon I visited the Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Petersburg, FL - and just happened upon an aviary!  Ironically, I can practically spit on this nature preserve and park from my apartment, and had no idea about it's existence until today.  I will start out with portraits I photographed of the birds of prey housed in the aviary, and then move on to the natural shots I got in the park.

Birds of Prey:

Red Tailed Hawk .5 points

Great Horned Owl .5 points

Barred Owl .5 points

Red Shouldered Hawk M .5 points

Red Shouldered Hawk F .5 points

Eastern Screech Owl  .5 points 

American Kestrel .5 points

Chicken .5 points

Bald Eagle .5 points

Turkey Vulture .5 points

Black Vulture .5 points

While walking around the Park, I was specifically looking for woodpeckers as Florida has a wide variety of these birds.  It is maddening to hear them and never see one!

Laughing Gull M & F 1.5 points

Osprey F 1 point

Osprey

Osprey M .5 points

Anhinga M .5 points

Anhinga

Common Gallinule 1 point

Mottled Duck  1 point

As you stand in a florida swamp quietly, taking photos of birds.. you start to notice exactly how many alligators there really are.  I took this photo, and then shortly after a selfie...

TOTAL ACCUMULATED BIRD POINTS: 27.5

-Hallie