With the Buzzards Back in Hinckley, Can Spring Be Far?
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HINCKLEY, Ohio — The buzzards returned to Hinckley on Tuesday despite heavy snow and cold temperatures, a sure sign that spring is near, a local official said.
The first buzzard was sighted just after noon by Capt. Roger Lutz, the Cleveland Metroparks system’s official buzzard-watcher.
“The snow was blowing and it was so cold all day,” Lutz said. “It just kept snowing and snowing, then all of a sudden, we got a break in the clouds, the sun broke out, and two birds flew in--in plain view of everybody.”
About 75 buzzards return to Hinckley each year, beginning on March 15. They reportedly have returned each year since 1819, although their arrival has been officially observed only since 1957.
The only time the buzzards have failed to return to their Medina County roost on March 15 was in 1984, when the extra day in February was said to have thrown them off.
A few park rangers and some reporters were the only spectators who braved the zero-degrees wind chill to see the buzzards come in.
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