Briton snaps pic of 'Bownessie'

upi ^ | Feb. 18, 2011

[JoeProBono]

WINDERMERE, England - A British man said he used his cellphone to snap a picture of what he said is "Bownessie," a legendary creature in England's Lake Windermere.

Tom Pickles, 24, said he snapped the picture of the creature, known as the English counterpart to Scotland's Loch Ness monster, Feb. 11 while on a kayaking exercise with his company, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

Pickles said the creature was the size of three cars and was visible for about 20 seconds.

"Its skin was like a seal's but its shape was completely abnormal -- it's not like any animal I've ever seen before," Pickles said.

Locals said the picture represented the eighth Bownessie sighting in five years.

David Farnell of Farnell's Photographic Laboratory in Lancaster, England, said the picture appears real but is difficult to verify due to its small file size from being taken on a phone.

Ian Winfield, a lake ecologist at the University of Lancaster, said the sightings may have been large catfish and the viewers are "misjudging" the size. He said there are no known creatures in the lake matching the reported size.

"We run echo sounding surveys every month and have never found anything," he said.

[JoeProBono]

[Daffynition]

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

Windermere, steam ferry, Lake District, England

[TheOldLady]

We ate a brown-bag lunch at the tarn when we got to the top. It is spectacularly beautiful, as your picture shows.

Hubby was born in Barking (suburb of London), and we used to vacation back at his “roots” from time to time.

He’s an American citizen now. I’m so proud of him.

[TheOldLady]

A tarn is a high-altitude lake, so yes, you’re right. :-)

[Grut]

To be a complete fusspot: "A tarn (or corrie loch) is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier." - Wikipedia.

Him feller:

[Daffynition]

Mr. Pickles. The bloke in the lighter uniform.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Interesting side note about Beatrix Potter - she was a mycologist

So was Hirohito. Just sayin, it takes all kinds.

[SunkenCiv]

“Run for it, lady!”

[1010RD]

Ah,that brings back some memories. When I was just a wee laddie my papa and I would take the carriage across in the steam ferry. I’ll never forget the first time they blew the steam whistle...

[ApplegateRanch]

So, how many sheep did that “catfish” chase down and swallow? I count 4 bulges, with no fins, and an aligator gar “head”

[JoeProBono]

[ApplegateRanch]

Titteringdales

Never seen Titteringdales, but I did come across a rare clump of giggling bushes once.

[ApplegateRanch]

I'll take fries with that!