Harvard Campus Nature Watch Jan/Feb 2012
Birds eating things ...
RED-TAILED HAWKS take advantage of snow-free winter to hunt all over campus. At RADCLIFFE QUAD, a red-tailed captures an Eastern Cottontail rabbit at Currier House. See Vivian B. Ling ’14’s spectacular photos below from the Harvard Crimson, showing hawk’s ruddy-brown tail:
http://www.thecrimson.com/series/spotted/article/2011/11/15/animals-hawks-harvard-campus /
… At the BUSINESS SCHOOL, a red-tailed hawk swoops down to snatch a squirrel from the ground next to Baker Library and Bloomberg Center and flies up to a nearby tree branch to consume his breakfast. Another red-tailed hawk nearby [a grown fledgling hoping for a hand-out from its parent?] flies to the same branch a few feet away from the first hawk and observes with great interest. The first hawk turns his back and does not offer to share
… In HARVARD YARD, a red-tailed hawk on the chimney of Straus dines on prey. [Perhaps the same?] hawk catches a gray squirrel and flies to the roof of Widener Library, hotly pursued by its squawking sibling. The victor boldly mantles its prey under its wings without any intention of sharing and finally flies away between Sever and Emerson to an unseen spot to feed in peace while the imploring one remains on Widener's roof.
… At the LAW SCHOOL’s brand new Wasserstein Hall, Caspersen Student Center, Clinical Wing, a red tailed hawk perches on the corner of the roof, staying for at least 20 minutes with the wind ruffling its feathers while scanning the landscape.
In the unusual quiet and peace of the tourist-free Yard [during Occupy Harvard closure], handsome Male HOUSE FINCHES vie in their brilliant raspberry feathers with each other for the choice deep red crab apples on the roof of Pusey Library opposite Widener.
Quadlings debate what to do about gosling: Harvard Crimson reports WHITE GOOSE waddling around Quad grass near Pforzheimer Dining Hall, prompting debate about how or whether to help it:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/11/5/pfoho-goose-outside-guard/
BLUEJAY shrieking in the crab apples behind Loeb House on the Pusey roof is joined by a MOCKINGBIRD.
On the sunny side of Loeb House, three dark red ROSES defy the season and
two large apricot-colored roses and purple lavender compete for attention to their right.
Abundant CRAB APPLES at the corner of 1746 Cambridge St. across Prescott St. from CGIS-South attract a Mockingbird, which perches with HOUSE SPARROWS gleefully feasting among the abundance.
ACORNS CRASH as region's oaks yield a tiny fraction of the 2009 and 2010 nut drops. By some estimates, 2011's autumn acorn drop was 1/500th of previous years. See thoughtful blog by Paul Roberts of the Arlington Birds group on what this will mean to campus's booming population of prey (squirrels and rabbits) and predators (red tailed hawks).
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arlingtonbirds/message/9482
DAFFODILS EMERGE (prematurely?) in warm winter in front of 175 North Harvard Street.
Thanks to Campus Nature Watchers Erika McCaffrey, Sonia Ketchian, Vivian Ling, Melissa Smith and Julie Zauzmer!
RED-TAILED HAWKS take advantage of snow-free winter to hunt all over campus. At RADCLIFFE QUAD, a red-tailed captures an Eastern Cottontail rabbit at Currier House. See Vivian B. Ling ’14’s spectacular photos below from the Harvard Crimson, showing hawk’s ruddy-brown tail:
http://www.thecrimson.com/series/spotted/article/2011/11/15/animals-hawks-harvard-campus /
… At the BUSINESS SCHOOL, a red-tailed hawk swoops down to snatch a squirrel from the ground next to Baker Library and Bloomberg Center and flies up to a nearby tree branch to consume his breakfast. Another red-tailed hawk nearby [a grown fledgling hoping for a hand-out from its parent?] flies to the same branch a few feet away from the first hawk and observes with great interest. The first hawk turns his back and does not offer to share
… In HARVARD YARD, a red-tailed hawk on the chimney of Straus dines on prey. [Perhaps the same?] hawk catches a gray squirrel and flies to the roof of Widener Library, hotly pursued by its squawking sibling. The victor boldly mantles its prey under its wings without any intention of sharing and finally flies away between Sever and Emerson to an unseen spot to feed in peace while the imploring one remains on Widener's roof.
… At the LAW SCHOOL’s brand new Wasserstein Hall, Caspersen Student Center, Clinical Wing, a red tailed hawk perches on the corner of the roof, staying for at least 20 minutes with the wind ruffling its feathers while scanning the landscape.
In the unusual quiet and peace of the tourist-free Yard [during Occupy Harvard closure], handsome Male HOUSE FINCHES vie in their brilliant raspberry feathers with each other for the choice deep red crab apples on the roof of Pusey Library opposite Widener.
Quadlings debate what to do about gosling: Harvard Crimson reports WHITE GOOSE waddling around Quad grass near Pforzheimer Dining Hall, prompting debate about how or whether to help it:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/11/5/pfoho-goose-outside-guard/
BLUEJAY shrieking in the crab apples behind Loeb House on the Pusey roof is joined by a MOCKINGBIRD.
On the sunny side of Loeb House, three dark red ROSES defy the season and
two large apricot-colored roses and purple lavender compete for attention to their right.
Abundant CRAB APPLES at the corner of 1746 Cambridge St. across Prescott St. from CGIS-South attract a Mockingbird, which perches with HOUSE SPARROWS gleefully feasting among the abundance.
ACORNS CRASH as region's oaks yield a tiny fraction of the 2009 and 2010 nut drops. By some estimates, 2011's autumn acorn drop was 1/500th of previous years. See thoughtful blog by Paul Roberts of the Arlington Birds group on what this will mean to campus's booming population of prey (squirrels and rabbits) and predators (red tailed hawks).
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arlingtonbirds/message/9482
DAFFODILS EMERGE (prematurely?) in warm winter in front of 175 North Harvard Street.
Thanks to Campus Nature Watchers Erika McCaffrey, Sonia Ketchian, Vivian Ling, Melissa Smith and Julie Zauzmer!