The Buzzards Return to Ohio

The image above was taken this week on the grounds of Spiegel Grove by Hayes Presidential Library and Museums Head of Photographic Resources Gilbert Gonzalez. Each spring and fall turkey vultures - often called buzzards, arrive from the south and gather in the huge trees on the grounds of Spiegel Grove. They roost quietly for several days before soaring off ever so gracefully on the thermals as they search for carrion across northwest Ohio. Their six-foot wingspan allows the buzzards to glide effortlessly for hours. They will lay their eggs on ledges, the ground and in hollow logs, crevices, and abandoned barns (mine included). 

Perhaps the most well-known Ohio location for the roosting of turkey vultures each spring is in  Hinckley Twp. in Medina County.  Like clockwork they arrive each year on March 15th.

According to  a Medina County history referenced by Mark Price in an Akron Beacon Journal article, the arrival of the buzzards is directly connected to the "Great Hinckley Hunt of 1818." Some 500 pioneers in the area gathered on December 24th to eliminate the wolves, bears, and other wildlife who were destroying their crops and livestock. The hunters encircled the area of Hinckley Twp., driving the creatures into a confined space where they were killed. One account states the 21 bears, 17 wolves, 300 deer, and other wildlife provided a Christmas Day feast for the hunters' families. In the spring, the carcasses attracted a gathering of  buzzards in Hinckley Twp. that has continued each spring for two centuries. 

1n 1957, Hinckley residents began celebrating Buzzard Day On the first Sunday after March 15th, more than 1,000 residents and visitors gather to enjoy Hinckley's hospitality with the day filled with good food and old fashioned fun and games.