HINCKLEY, Ohio — The buzzards are back!
As we turn the clocks ahead one hour and spring forward, another special tradition took place in Hinckley on Tuesday.
“Every March 15, dating back to 1957, the buzzards are welcomed back to the Hinckley Reservation by the Cleveland Metroparks official buzzard spotter,” according to the Cleveland Metroparks site.
The first buzzard was spotted at 9:06 a.m. Tuesday as onlookers watched the sky from the Buzzard Roost at the Hinckley Reservation, which is just off State Road near West Drive at the Hinckley Reservation. The Cleveland Metroparks official buzzard spotter -- Natalie Schroder -- was also there to guide the event.
“The reason that buzzards come here is that we have the perfect breeding ground for them, basically," Schroder tells 3News. "We have these amazing sandstone rock outcrops and that’s where they nest. They don’t make nests. They literally will lay their eggs, put a little debris on these rocky outcrops and that’s where they’re going to raise their young.”
But aren't the buzzards there before March 15? Yes, but Schroder says the Buzzard Day celebration is about tradition.
"It’s really exciting," she said. "It gives people something to look forward to because it can be a dreary time in March.”
We streamed live video of Buzzard Day, which you can watch in the player below:
The 65th buzzard celebration continues on Sunday, March 20 with an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast and craft fair at the new Hinckley Elementary School at 1157 Ridge Road. Breakfast is $10 for adults and $6 for children, according to the Hinckley Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.
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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story regarding the Hinckley Reservation on June 13, 2021.
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