So gang, I think that we may have an issue with hawks nesting near the Shields Building here at University Park. You can read about our previous adventures with hawks (aka, Iowa's mascot) here.
As I was walking into the office yesterday morning, I noticed a couple of students on the sidewalk gawking and taking pictures of something in the grass. Naturally, my attention was drawn there...
Yes, that is a hawk that is clearly being interrupted during his breakfast (or perhaps a morning snack) of a small bunny rabbit.
If you've ever been on a suburban-to-rural college campus, you'll know that the small woodland creatures that make campus their home eventually become relatively tame. Squirrels are notorious for this here at Penn State's University Park campus. Once the work day started, a group of us were discussing the bird in a meeting. Someone raised the point that it is surprising that we don't see more birds like this swooping in and scooping up rabbits and squirrels on Old Main lawn (and elsewhere on campus). I think that's a great point!
Animal control and our Office of Plant Operations have been notified. But, I have to say, I think that it's pretty cool that we have a bird-of-prey that has taken up a home nearby. It's almost like it wants to be a normal part of the campus community...