Marauders Take Flight

The Tallahassee Museum Brings a Hawk to Maclay’s Campus

Photo by Ethan Woodring / Maclay Andalusin

Maclay Upper School celebrated and learned about two magnificent birds in Langford Hall during community time on Friday, Feb. 20. Shelby Boykin, a representative from the Tallahassee Museum, brought Maclay two birds: an Eastern Screech Owl named Wilber and the other a Sharp-Shinned Hawk named Baxtor. 

“I really liked learning about the feathers,” senior Dani Nakis said. “Hawks feathers grow every single year. This bird also got hit by a car and the Tallahassee Museum has helped it get healthy again because it can't fly.” 

Hawk day has been a tradition after an incident with a hawk and a squirrel in the Maclay high school courtyard in 2018. This moment opened the eyes of many students and faculty, showing them how special birds are. This inspired Mr. Norment and Mrs. Evans to create Hawk Day to display nature at Maclay.

“I think anything outside of the normal pattern of school is always exciting and gives students a way to appreciate things they do not see a lot,” Norment said. “Seeing owls, which is an animal you hear a lot, but rarely see, is pretty special.”

After a brief talk about the birds, students were encouraged to ask questions and get up close to the birds. This allowed them to see nature in a new perspective. Maclay has made continuous efforts to create opportunities for students to experience new things outside of the classroom, and hawk day has been a perfect way to do so. 

This tradition has been successful every year, and by attending, students can embrace nature at school. Mark your calendars and come and experience hawk day for yourself next year!