S.L.C.’s Wildlife Makes for a Diverse Hobby

by Joseph Caputo

Thursday February 15, 2007

From his post at Westlands gate, Bill welcomes hundreds of guests to Sarah Lawrence. One of his favorite visitors is a red-tailed hawk, a bird of prey common in Westchester County.

“If you just look up, you’ll see him,” he said, tracing an imaginary path with his finger from a tree towering over Robinson House to a nearby telephone pole, then pausing at a high branch by the windows of a McCracken double.

With plenty of squirrels and diverse foliage, S.L.C. is a hot spot for many northeastern birds. A survey conducted in the swampland along Wrexham Road by retired literature faculty membe Dr. William Park and biology professor Dr. Ray Clarke counted 72 bird species on campus.

According to Dr. Park, a passionate bird-watcher, tree cavities and tall oaks may house crows, starlings, house finches, sparrows, mourning doves, tufted titmice, black-capped chickadees, robins, grackles, and red-winged blackbirds.

“There are also a lot of pheasants,” he added. “You can sometimes hear them call when walking behind Slonim Woods.”

For those interested in campus bird-watching, Dr. Park recommends bringing out the binoculars in May along with a copy of “Sibley’s Guide to Birds” or “The Ardent Birder” by Todd Newberry and Gene Holtan. S.L.C. could be a great place to start a new hobby.