Most likely, a minor movement of Turkey Vultures (creagles?) road warm southern wind into the Buckeye State this past weekend based on several reports on the Listserv and a couple sightings from my home office window this morning--the first TUVU's I've seen around my place near Galena since November. Of course, it's possible these are wider-ranging Ohio winter birds from small winter roosts in Pike, Jackson, Hocking, and other southern and eastern Ohio counties hosting these birds most winters. Hinckley notwithstanding, TUVU's return in noticeable numbers with strong southern weather systems during February, annually. Many more arrive in March and April. They ride favorable weather systems as soon as these develop. From a hungry scavenger's point of view, our thawing landscape must be a waiting smorgasbord of roadkill and winterkill everything..everywhere.. May as well be first at the table! Other half-hardy birds ride the same weather systems. Joe in the Woods' wintering Eastern Phoebe in Perry County will be lonely no more, soon, maybe by Valentine's Day, today! Eastern Phoebes may be the first new arrivals you hear singing on territory. American Woodcock move north as soil thaws enough for probing. Already we have a report of territorial "Peenting"--the list goes on. Surges of migrants riding weather systems like the one this past weekend are predictable. You can try forecasting movements yourself by using simple real-time surface winds maps you can query at the Real-Time Weather Data site. See a map from this weekend at this link and you will see a strong pattern of southerly winds flowing northeastward along the Mississippi and Ohio valleys: http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/surface/displaySfc.php?region=dtw&endDate=20 110212&endTime=0&duration=0 Explore on your own: Go to the NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) "Real-Time Weather Data" link here: http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/ Select the "Surface" link or thumbnail Left mouse-click on the dotted North America map at a position anywhere in Ohio (or wherever you want to see) The map you will see includes most Midwestern states and you will see surface wind speeds indicated by "flags" that look more like single-veined arrows pointing in the direction the wind is moving. The more short lines, "veins" on the flags, the higher the wind speed. This morning you will see a strong circulation pattern in the Midwest with high wind speeds swirling from NW to W around a strong low pressure system over Ontario. Feeling adventurous? Try using the dropdown menus to select past time periods to define a loop of data. The maps will illustrate weather system movement. Have fun. Thanks to all who have gathered data for the Rusty Blackbird Hotspot Blitz. Please enter your data at eBird soon. Remember to enter effort data for those hotspots visits even if you were skunked. Tom Bain Delaware County ______________________________________________________________________ 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]