Panoramic view at Broad Key Research Station
Yesterday I spent some time on the Rosenstiel School’s research station, Broad Key, with site manager Dr. Evan D’Alessandro. After spending some time walking the island, we headed to the Great House located in the island’s center. The balcony and roof area provides excellent panoramic views of the surrounding environment and allowed me to use a favorite iPhone app of mine – Photosynth- which stitches together multiple photos to make a nice panoramic shot with minimal effort.
Great Horned Owl. Photo by Dr. Evan D'Alessandro
As we were standing on top of the roof taking in a beautiful site, Evan ushers me over to a corner. He then picks up what looked like a clump of dirt from a distance, but upon further examination, it was what he refered to as an “Owl Pellet.” Because Owl’s do not have teeth, they have to eat their food whole, swallowing large undigestible chunks such as fur, feathers and bones. To rid their bodies of these objects, they cough them up in a big ol’ fur ball or “Owl Pellet.” Evan tells me that Broad Key is home to a Great Horned Owl which he has spotted several times.
All in all it was a great day at Broad Key and I left with some interesting fun facts I never imagined knowing. Just another day at Rosenstiel’s dynamic Broad Key Research Station!
Owl Pellet
-Andrew DeChellis
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