April | 2008 | The Wandering Path

A Falcon on Campus

I was out for a lunch time walk when I heard some crows making a fuss. I looked up into the trees, and what should I see but a falcon, enjoying a fresh pigeon lunch. (Our campus has a generous supply of pigeons.) I watched it for a while, and then rushed back to my office for my camera. When I got back, the falcon was just finishing lunch – it dropped the leftovers on the sidewalk below. I snapped few photos as the falcon fluffed up for little post-lunch rest. The falcon appears to be a peregrine – it has the dark hood of feathers on its head and the ticked chest feathers, and is about the same size as the crows. Incidentally, the crows came back to the tree after the falcon was finished eating!

The leftover pigeon is being dropped.

You can see the dark “hood” of feathers.

Another view

Just hanging around

Here you can see the sizes of the falcon and the crow, who returned to his territory after the falcon was done eating!

April 22, 2008 | Categories: Uncategorized | 10 Comments

White Spring on Campus

I took my camera on a walk across campus today and took a few pictures of our spring snow.

When I left my building, a snow flurry was just starting.

It was adding to the load of snow on this tree.

By the time I had walked the four blocks across campus, blue skies were showing again behind this wonderful fancy frosted roofline on the geology building.

The mix of snow and sun has made icicles, like these tiny ones hanging off of this fir tree.

This dinosaur is wearing a cap of snow and has his mouth filled with it!

Back over by my building, this tree looks like it is full of giant balls of cotton instead of snow!

April 12, 2008 | Categories: Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Cold White Spring Sunshine in Wyoming

Here at 7200 feet in altitude, April showers usually take a cold white form. We woke up this morning to a good eight inches of heavy wet spring snow. I went out about 6:15 and took some pictures.