Students noticed an unexpected visitor perched low in one of the campus trees, a hawk that quickly became the talk of the courtyard.

The hawk, now known as “Gus,” named after Augustus F. Hawkins, was spotted calmly resting in the branches at lunch near the main building. While students ate and chatted below, Gus seemed completely unbothered, quietly watching the scene from above.

“He was just chilling during lunch,’’ one student said, “Everybody started pointing at him and taking pictures. It was cool to see something like that right here at school.”

Teachers and staff were just as surprised. Some say hawks are a rare sight around the area, making Gus’s visit even more special.

According to Mama T, “A hawk has been here at Hawkins since the school opened. He’s a real mascot.”

“It looks nice,” Kasey H., class of 2027 said, “I like the colors on his feathers. When it’s by itself he looks peaceful.

“I remember seeing Gus once out on the field,” Vanessa M. class of 2027 said, “but he was resting on the gate and didn’t seem to mind a few of the students walking close to him. When they walked a little closer he would just shift a little bit, but when a student got too close he flew away towards the field lights”

For now, Gus seems happy to call Hawkins High his hangout spot and students hope he’ll keep coming back to chill with them during lunch.