Revisit to the Smullin's side wall

Observer: Estella Yee
Date: 09-25
Location: North side of Smullin
Time: 939-958
Weather: 57˚F, overcast (Is it going to rain today?)

I thought to visit the site of where I had first discovered some dark-eyed juncos. I hadn’t seen them around for some time. Sure enough they were still there, hopping about the trees and shrubbery near the wall. I caught sight of one that had landed on the rail, but unfortunately, it had seen it and flew into the bushes. A particular shrub that I noted seemed similar to a magnolia tree. Its leaves were dark green and arranged radially, however, many were turning colors and falling yellow on the ground. The leaves grew in a circle about buds, which were predominantly green but the edges were slightly crimson. Others had already blossomed and dried out. The petals had fallen on many, leaving only stamens and pistils. The trunk of the shrub was extremely contorted with mosses covering in patches. The dark brown bark was flaking and roughed the exterior. A small fuchsia plant grew underneath, with magenta drooping blossoms but the height was much less than the others on campus that grew in the full sun. While I was watching though the juncos escaped to a nearby oak tree. At that moment, I noticed that I was being watched from above by a lazily soaring bird of prey, perhaps a red-tailed hawk.