Having mustered the nerve to post this, and wanting to let readers know
that I have never used recreational drugs, here goes:

I have a 6½ high bay window in my dinette, and when I'm indoors I
can't help but "waste" a lot of time visiting it to see what might be
seen.  I do try to focus on the birds and not the neighbors.
Several of my "yard birds" have been one-hit-wonders that have happened
to appear, even if briefly, as I have happened to be standing there.  My
yard list rules are the same as Bob Evans': if I can see or hear it from
my property, it counts as a yard bird.

This afternoon I was at the window, looked out and up, and a very large
raptor with slow, deliberate wing beats was flying over.  Its gestalt
was so strikingly unusual that I did a double take and probably
vocalized a "What the heck?"

Unfortunately, it was slowly flying west toward the sunlight and I did
not see specific field marks; however, it was a large accipter.
Cooper's Hawks frequent my yard, and having misidentified a large,
perched female Cooper's as a Northern Goshawk elsewhere several years
ago, this flying bird today was no female Cooper's.  Nor was it a
Red-shouldered Hawk, which I've also had several times over the yard
(noted as to a sense of perspective), but never looking so powerful.

I had already grabbed my binocs to see him from indoors, then ran out
the kitchen door.  After the bird dropped out of sight over the roof of
the house next door, I ran around to the front of the house and
relocated the bird.  Both with my binocs and without, noted for
perspective as well, I again saw this very large accipiter with very
strong, deliberate wing beats.  It then made a 1¼ circle where it was,
affording me a look at its total shape, and headed north.

Naturally I checked Peterjohn afterward, and today is 5 days later than
his published late date; however, the 2004 edition of _A Field Book of
Birds of the Cleveland Region_ indicates "occasional" for this species
in the first week of May.   Did Rob Harlan have one at Firestone
MetroPark in Akron on the first Saturday of May a few years ago?  If so,
I did not know of that until after I questioned my sighting.  Firestone
is just about a 10-minute drive from here.  That doesn't mean much
except it's quite a coincidence.

Whether or not this is considered a legitimate sighting by everyone or
anyone, I'm convinced that I saw a Northern Goshawk today.

Oddly enough, I also heard a Common Nighthawk tonight.  This seems early
to me but, again referencing Cleveland records, the occurrence is
"uncommon".  My first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the season appeared
in the yard today, I had the first Field Sparrow for my yard list, and
the Summer Tanager has now been here for 4 days.

Now, to blow any shred of credibility I may have ever had, I have to
admit that I've been misstating the DeLorme coordinates of my house, and
realized the error of my ways today.  Stuff happens.

Kathy Mock
Barberton, Summit Co.
In fact, DeLorme 41, D6

"Did St. Francis preach to the birds?  Whatever for?  If he really liked
birds he would have done better to preach to the cats." -- Rebecca West

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