The Strange Nature of Campus
So, the other day I saw a turtle sitting next to a duck in a tree.
I'm dead serious. If anyone is familiar with the Ohio State Campus, they'll know about Mirror Lake, the once-a-big-lake-now-a-large-duck-pond at the west end of the South Oval. If anyone is familiar with that area in much detail, they'll know about that one tree whose branches dip right into the water on one shore. Well, for the past week at least, two turtles have been taking advantage of the dipping branches to use as a spot to hang out on. I don't know if they're sunning themselves or what, it's a little shady there from the rest of the branches. Due to the brickwork surrounding the lake, the only other spot where they can actually climb out of the water is at the other end, where there's that little stream coming from God knows where (seriously, where does that stream come from?), so maybe they got tired of always swimming all the way over there for a breather. Whatever the reason, I've seen them there at least three times now, and they seem to enjoy pushing each other off the branches for no apparent reason. The ducks have also been taking advantage of it, although I think they'd been doing it for a while already when the turtles got the same idea.
Speaking of odd nature around Mirror Lake, I'm seriously starting to wonder what species those cow-ducks are. Two online birdwatching databases and a book on North American wildlife later and I still have no clue. I'm beginning to suspect that we have mutant ducks of some sort on campus.
I'm dead serious. If anyone is familiar with the Ohio State Campus, they'll know about Mirror Lake, the once-a-big-lake-now-a-large-duck-pond at the west end of the South Oval. If anyone is familiar with that area in much detail, they'll know about that one tree whose branches dip right into the water on one shore. Well, for the past week at least, two turtles have been taking advantage of the dipping branches to use as a spot to hang out on. I don't know if they're sunning themselves or what, it's a little shady there from the rest of the branches. Due to the brickwork surrounding the lake, the only other spot where they can actually climb out of the water is at the other end, where there's that little stream coming from God knows where (seriously, where does that stream come from?), so maybe they got tired of always swimming all the way over there for a breather. Whatever the reason, I've seen them there at least three times now, and they seem to enjoy pushing each other off the branches for no apparent reason. The ducks have also been taking advantage of it, although I think they'd been doing it for a while already when the turtles got the same idea.
Speaking of odd nature around Mirror Lake, I'm seriously starting to wonder what species those cow-ducks are. Two online birdwatching databases and a book on North American wildlife later and I still have no clue. I'm beginning to suspect that we have mutant ducks of some sort on campus.
posted by Mithrandalf at 8:45 PM
1 Comments:
Gotta love Mirror Lake. Last Spring it was a major hang out for me (a good place for pictures and sun). For a few weeks we had a heron (or a crane, not sure which) hanging out with us. It was such a blast to watch it fly across the water, snag a fish on the fly, and then land in a tree to eat. Somewhere I have some good pics of it, just need to dig thru my server to find them... -David
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