What’s Up with the Peregrine Falcons?!

Well, folks, it looks like we have a new pair of resident falcons! We’re not sure what happened to Isabella and Freedom, or where they might be, but we’ll keep you posted if we find out anything. In the meantime, we have an unbanded male and a banded female. If we get a chance to…

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What’s So Cool About Snow and Ice Anyway?

Lots! Besides all the fun winter recreational activities that involve snow and ice (this does not include donuts on the freeway), they play an important role in our temperate (as opposed to tropical!) ecosystems. A Cozy Blanket Ok, so maybe not a warm and cozy blanket, but snow does provide a good layer of insulation…

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Love is in the Air . . . Part 2: Return of the Falcons

Our “lovebirds” have been sighted together at their usual nest site on the east side upper balcony of Old Main (under the clock face on the Cass Avenue side). Let the observations (and the “head hunting” as leftover bird dinner bits might start to show up on the ground beneath this area) begin! Keep an…

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Love is in the Air . . .

Literally!! While we cozy up with our sweethearts in the dead of winter, or give presents to those we fancy, animals are doing the same. This time of year, our resident peregrine falcons, Isabella and Freedom, will be re-establishing their territory and their pair bond. Peregrine falcons, like many other birds that “mate for life,”…

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Bracing for the Storm

When the weather gets rough, animals have to struggle to stay warm and find food without the benefit of a warm building, North Face gear and pizza delivery. What’s a critter to do?! Braving the Cold Fur and body fat are good insulators, and so are feathers (have you ever had a down jacket? Toasty!)….

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Midtown’s Squirrely Residents

All year-round, you’ll see these creatures furtively running around campus – stopping and starting, looking around crazily; darting in and out of bushes; chasing each other; looking up at you with pleading eyes, begging for food; and dumpster diving. No, they are not lost or desperate freshmen. They’re squirrels. Scurrying Sciuruses There are four types…

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