Wayt Thomas is the Elizabeth G. Britton Curator of Botany in the Institute of Systematic Botany. Stella Sylva is Administrative Curator in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium.

The pair of red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) nesting on the Library building appear to be consistently present at the nest although the female is usually not visible when sitting. So, although we cannot say for sure, it is likely that she has laid eggs and is brooding.

Their nest is in a small triangular alcove near the top of the front face of the building on the east side (see photos). The close-up photo captures the female stretching her wings and preening herself. Afterward, she went back to the middle of the nest, hunkered down, and disappeared from view. If all goes well, the eggs will hatch sometime this month. We’ll keep you posted when we find out more.

Photos by Wayt Thomas

No School this Week? Come to a Our Special Programs

Gayle Schmidt is Manger of Public Education.

I am a little confused about spring—is it here or not? The wacky weather makes me think that it is not quite here yet, but the daffodils are coming up and green leaf buds on some trees are starting to show. Besides that, there are also many more children visiting the Garden on their spring break! We have rolled out a new series of programs just for families who are looking for something fun to do during the time off from school.

Break for Biodiversity is packed with tours, self-guided adventures, and workshops that showcase the variety of plant life around us. Our docents will guide you through the Native Forest and point out features of trees that make them different from one another and that explain the benefits of these differences. Bring your binoculars for the bird walks this weekend so that you can easily spot the fuzzy new additions to the great horned owl family and the other wildlife that the Garden supports. During the Herbarium Specimen-Making Workshop, you will learn about the “library” of pressed plants of species from around the world and make a specimen to start your own collection.

After all these exciting plant discoveries, I am sure you will be curious to find out how you can be a botanist or horticulturist, too. You will have the chance to sit down with one of our researchers at Café Scientifique to learn what it is like to work in the field, collecting and studying plants.

So come out and enjoy the fun programs. Even if there are some April showers, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and Everett Children’s Adventure Garden have plenty of plants and activities to explore indoors.