I-Team: Expert trying to identify mysterious bird flying around S. Texas

www.mysanantonio.com ^ | 11-16-07 | Joe Conger

[dynachrome]

I-Team: Expert trying to identify mysterious bird flying around S. Texas

Web Posted: 11/16/2007 12:42 AM CST

Joe Conger KENS 5 Eyewitness News

More sightings of a huge flying creature, originally reported by KENS, have prompted an investigation to determine if it is a monster or myth.

"Even though it was dark, the thing itself was black. The blackest I'd ever seen," said Frank Ramirez.

[dynachrome]

Hillary winging her way to a meeting of the coven?

[montyspython]

As long as tax payers aren’t paying for her broom.

[silentreignofheroes]

Mothman..flying south for the winter...?

[Army Air Corps]

"Even though it was dark, the thing itself was black. The blackest I'd ever seen"

Sounds like Hilly's heart.

[nuconvert]

vulture?
condor?

[dynachrome]

crypto ping. News report is very dramatic.
WE are dooooooomed!

[dynachrome]

mothra

[b4its2late]

[BGHater]

Thunderbird

[Ben Mugged]

Drug smugglers in muffled flat back ultralights

[rdl6989]

Condor was my first thought, but I doubt one would be near San Antonio since most of the ones left are on the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

http://www.blm.gov/az/asfo/wildlife/Condor.htm

[Army Air Corps]

mothra

Has anyone seen these ladies nearby?

[sinanju]

From Wiki:

“Some cryptozoologists first theorized that the thunderbird myth is based on sightings of a real animal. Regarding the question whether such a large bird could have flown at all, the prehistoric vulture-like Aiolornis incredibilis (previously known as Teratornis) which was described in 1909 had a wingspan of around 5 m (16 ft) and was capable of flight, but probably would have favored heavy winds to facilitate takeoff. This bird, however, was almost certainly never seen alive by human beings, but a slightly smaller relative, Teratornis merriami must have been frequently encountered by early Amerindians.

It is generally believed that Merriam’s Teratorn was a dynamic soarer, riding upcurrents of heated air. Their finger bones have adapted to bear the load of huge primaries, allowing them to maneuver expertly in strong updrafts, as typically found associated with storms (Campbell & Tonni, 1983).

Paleontologists reject the continuing existence of a large and conspicuous bird like Aiolornis or Teratornis in modern times, and anthropologists point out that American Indian thunderbirds were not especially similar to this creature (and usually not very similar to birds at all). The changes of “thunderbird” records over the years - from pterodactyl-like beings in the late 19th and early 20th century to teratorn-like birds becoming prominent from the middle 20th century onwards, as reconstructions of teratorns were reaching a wider audience - suggest that most records are considerably shaped by underlying expectations. In a similar vein, cryptozoologist John Keel states that his mapping of Thunderbird sightings corresponded chronologically and geographically with storms moving across the United States, but this is only to be expected in either case.”

[dynachrome]

Looks like they saw Raymond Burr.

[Professional Engineer]

Migratory pteradactyl.

[JoanneSD]

AS long as they are not burning fossil fuel.. it will be okay

[dynachrome]

Just thinking that if it unloaded like pigeons do, proof of it’s existence should be obvious!

[labette]

Don’t know what these folks are seeing, but an eagle is pretty darned big.

[ari-freedom]

[groanup]

The turkey buzzards in Texas have their own hangars.

[Army Air Corps]

Could be. Either that or Algore in a Speedo.

[dynachrome]

I forgot about “ghidra, the three headed monster”

[null and void]

Eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww!

[ari-freedom]

Are Go!

[BuffaloJack]

Thunder bird ??

[GaryLee1990]

UFB - Unidentified Flying Birds.

WatchingHillary.com

[ari-freedom]

yeah i remember when thanksgiving was king kong day and the day after was godzilla day
and I’m not the only one
http://www.dvddrive-in.com/holidayfilmfest.htm

[DoughtyOne]

Birdzilla... I like it.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Ping

[matthew fuller]

"If you were to take a man's face and pull his chin down, just like a stretched face," said Ramirez"

Gotta be either Jay Leno or John F'ing Kerry.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Heeeeeeee's Baaaack!

[Popocatapetl]

Nobody has mentioned California Condors. They are mostly on the West Coast, Baja and northern Arizona. No reason they couldn’t make it to South Texas.

Overall length is about 4 feet and the wingspan averages around 9 feet. They are generally black in color.

And yes, when you see one flying it looks as big as a small airplane. Since they prefer mountains, they probably crossed over northern Mexico, instead of across New Mexico and West Texas.

I am also not surprised that anyone seeing one in the wild for the first time would about poop themselves.

[myprecious]

Just a glimpse of what global warming will bring!

(I can't believe 31 posts and not one global warming quip. Saturday night must really be sloooooow.)

[Sudetenland]

What's the word?
Thunderbird!

What's the price?
Two bits, twice.

Thunderbird! The preferred choice of all discerning winos.

[SaxxonWoods]

“(I can’t believe 31 posts and not one global warming quip. Saturday night must really be sloooooow.)”

That reminds me...

Bush’s fault!

[Sudetenland]

Actually it is a Balrog from Morgoth.

[Inyo-Mono]

PING-A-Roonee!!!

[martin_fierro]

It's MOTHMAN!

[Professional Engineer]

LOL

[myprecious]

Carl Rove must have released the critter from the Ranch.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

[Eye of Unk]

Maybe certain birds can read a calender?

[Mike Darancette]

"That's when the thing up there turned to me, and it was in a perched state, and it started to turn," he said. "It started to move its arms and this giant blackness was just coming out. At that point, I dropped the stick and I ran."

Like this fellow?

[Greysard]

Everybody knows that Thunderbird is blue ;-)

[WVNan]

Aww martin, that is the most pitiful picture I've ever seen of our favorite "creature". Here's one I took with my very own camera.

South Texas better get prepared if it's the Mothman visiting. He's only seen before great disasters.

[pcottraux]

[Sarajevo]

It was a Chicken-Hawk!

[Tommyjo]

The infamous picture (bottom left) of the Loch Ness monster was later admitted to being a fake. They used a clockwork toy submarine as the platform and filmed it attached with the neck attached close to shore.

[cll]

lol

[Quix]

Thanks. Will check it out.