A couple of notes from today and yesterday: I was somewhat surprised to see a tad early Great Crested Flycatcher hawking insects at Bradley Woods Reservation, Cleveland Metroparks (western Cuyahoga Co.) on 4/26. I typically don't detect them in NE Ohio until first week of May, though there are sometimes April sightings. Otherwise, today there was a interesting movement of raptors over Chardon, Geauga Co. this afternoon. Chardon is not a Lakefront migrant trap. Around 11:30 a.m. there was a big downpour, and after it cleared I was in town and happened to look up and see a Broad- winged Hawk cruising over fairly low. Winds were out of the WSW. Then, I saw a couple more, and as these birds started to soar and move ENE, one Broad-wing after another joined them until I had about 20 in the air kettling in two groups. Further scanning revealed about 10 more as I drove to another site. An Osprey was also seen high up, taking the same bearing. These birds quickly gained altitude and became "pepper-flecks" in the sky. I think that the heavy rain or accompanying downdraft brought them down to naked-eye viewing level, and after the rain they quickly rose into the stratosphere again. Unfortunately I did not have time to scan the clouds with binoculars or I suspect there were more broad-wings moving high up. Kevin Metcalf Chardon, OH ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]