Tuesday, November 1, 2005

Ooh! A red-tailed hawk!

Cool! There's a red-tailed hawk sitting in the tall tree in the courtyard outside my campus office window. At least I *think* it's a red-tailed hawk. I haven't been able to see its tail clearly, but the rest of it matches. Plus, they're pretty common all across the States, so it's more likely to be a red-tailed hawk than just about any other species.

I love the courtyard outside my office. Gargoyles and hawks -- what else could a medievalist want?

[UPDATE: OK, I'm almost certain my avian friend is a light form of the red-tailed hawk. And, btw, s/he just caught another bird -- a pigeon, I think, judging from the color -- and is feasting on it in the crook of the tree right at my eye level. It looks like it's plucking it first -- just like we pluck chickens -- but that's probably just an effect of the feathers flying around. I'm fascinated. I've never watched a bird of prey eat in real life before....Can you tell I'm having a hard time concentrating on work?]

2 comments:

Ancrene Wiseass said...

Hawks are pretty!

Okay, I really have nothing more intelligent to say than that.

Dr. Virago said...

Hee hee. Intelligence not always required here. Have you seen most of my latest posts?!

And yes, hawks are pretty even when they're ripping pigeons the shreds!