Sheryl, there are often sightings of turkey vulture-like birds before Buzzard Day, March 15, at Hinckley Ohio. These are actually sightings of the very rare "Creagle", first classified by NE Ohio birder Sam Walker in 2005. The Creagle, a rare hybrid of the Common Crow and the American Eagle, sometimes appears in NE Ohio in late February or early March on its long migration to Baffin Island, it's only know nesting location. Once north of the St. Lawrence Watershed, it is active only at night, a defense against potential predators, and is seldom seen during daylight hours. Research has shown that all Creagles move north of NE Ohio precisely on the night of March 14, a response to amazingly predictable annual snow flea (Collembola sp.) population irruptions, which occur as sure as the tides on March 14 each year, regardless of other weather phenomena. We have attempted to obtain a "type specimen" for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's ornithology collection, only to be thwarted by the "Creagle Defense League", a group of well-meaning but near-sighted birders. Thus far, it is known only by anecdotal evidence. I welcome all Creagle sightings up to their March 14 departure date. Kindly send your reports to [log in to unmask] for inclusion in a future article in the park magazine, The Emerald Necklace. Cheers... Bob Robert D. Hinkle, Chief of Outdoor Education, Cleveland Metroparks "Official Buzzard Spotter" on Buzzard Day, March 15 ______________________________________________________________________ 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]