Last December, two birds were trapped in the cafeteria, creating a nest in a window. They have since become inseparable since building their nest together in a corner beam, made from an intricate arrangement of napkins, chopsticks from the Asian station, and plastic plates from the Delicious Without station. It’s resourceful, a little chaotic, but undeniably theirs.
During the cafeteria’s opening hours, they perch side by side along the rafters, chirping at one another while students eat below. Be cautious, they do find it humorous to poop on students eating in the booths.
They enjoy eating the chicken nuggets occasionally, making waffles for breakfast on the weekend, and picking up sushi for dinner. The pair never misses the opportunity for a sweet treat and scoop their own ice cream every night.
The birds move with the familiarity of a long-term couple. One is rarely seen without the other; however, on the night of Feb. 22, a squirrel joined the bird couple to escape the blizzard raging outside.
He found the warmth of the lights soothing as the wind howled outside. The birds were apprehensive at first, concerned about the new resident moving into the dormant air conditioning duct.
The squirrel can be seen stuffing its face with marshmallows from the ice cream station, raiding the donut cabinet before opening and nibbling on red velvet cookies after Chef’s Table closes.
Be cautious, this furry creature bites if you get too close to his meal. He is especially on edge when it comes to securing his plate of mac and cheese.
As spring approaches, the bird couple, with the help of the squirrel, has decided to start a family using the eggs from the omelet station. The squirrel was seen last week stealing eggs and carrying them up to the corner beam for the couple, since the eggs are too heavy and fragile to fly.
When the eggs do hatch, the squirrel will be a great godfather to the chicks. We wish the birds a safe and fruitful hatching as we move into the warmer months. This new chosen family has brought a closeness to the cafeteria that no one has seen before.
A petition to add a nut dispenser has begun circulating. One can hope the squirrel will also bring home a partner to keep him company.
Keira Bala is the videographer for The Setonian. She can be reached at keira.bala@student.shu.edu.
