Reflection: Other Related Research
In Flight at Night
By Cori Arnold (05/13/09 09:52:29)
Related animal: Unidentified Bird

Last night I decided to spend sometime in my backyard and take advantage of my new heater. When I walked out the backdoor I heard an odd sound that sounded similar to the howling of the wind coming through a crack in a door. I thought it was a little critter hanging out in the yard, since they often do this. I slowly peeked around the corner to where the backyard is located and could not see anything visible; no small or large animals. The fences in my yard are covered with Ivy and Morning Glories so I began to wonder if maybe what I was hearing were rats traveling throughout it. I thought this would be slightly odd, considering I have never before found rats living in the Ivy and I have been living here for almost four years. I began to rethink the sound and wondered if maybe it was a bat, so I began looking up into the sky anytime the noise grew closer. In the far distant, night sky I finally made out what looked like a few bats, or so I thought, cruising around above where I was sitting. I became concerned that the bats might start to swoop down at me while I was sitting outside, so I decided to keep looking up and watching them, when all of the sudden a giant bird crossed extremely close overhead. I quickly realized that I was completely wrong about the bats and that there was something larger cruising above where I was seated. I was only able to get two good looks at the bird. I could make out that it had a giant wingspan with white and black underneath its wings and that it also was making the sound I initially mentioned. I have absolutely no idea what type of bird this was flying above my house last night, but desperately want to find out! I have already ruled out the idea of it being an owl, because I know what they look like from underneath and also can recognize the sounds they make. I obviously know it was too large to be a bat, so now I am slightly stumped as to what it could have been.

Here is what I do know:

It had a large wingspan.
Must be nocturnal.
Under it's wings were white and black.
Makes a howling wind through a crack sound.

If anyone has any thoughts about this, please let me know! Or if you can think of any great websites, where I could possibly listen to different bird sounds that would be awesome, I am very open to any ideas and would LOVE to determine what it was that I saw, since it was quite an amazing moment!


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