Not what I expected

At all. I went for lunch today and saw this :

along with sundry other unexpected birds of prey. (Just as well I had my phone, huh?) They were sitting on stands on a patch of grass in the middle of campus, with no explanation, accompanied by some guy in a white van who was standing there looking bored (and obviously surrounded by a crowd of confused onlookers). WHY??? What's going on??? I think I would know if we had a new department in outdoor avian studies. All I can think is that is related to the fact that the University has the immense privilege (cough) of hosting some kind of international role-play gaming convention this week - , and it's a shortish leap from role play gaming to medieval role play, from medieval role play to medieval jousting re-enactments, and from medieval jousting re-enactments to birds of prey. I guess.

It was still pretty weird though. There were eagles, too (against even less photogenic backgrounds) and they looked just as confused as I was.

[Edited later to add: as I left work, I saw that the convention was sponsored by the good folk at Dungeons and Dragons. So yep, 'nuff said].