And we thought bears are a problem?

“ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A bird the size of a small airplane was recently spotted flying over southwest Alaska, puzzling scientists, the Anchorage Daily News reported this week.

The newspaper quoted residents in the villages of Togiak and Manokotak as saying the creature, like something out of the movie "Jurassic Park," had a wingspan of 14 feet -- making it the size of a small airplane.

"At first I thought it was one of those old-time Otter planes," the paper quoted Moses Coupchiak, 43, a heavy equipment operator from Togiak, as saying. "Instead of continuing toward me, it banked to the left, and that's when I noticed it wasn't a plane."

The Daily News, the largest daily in Alaska, said scientists had no doubt that people in the region, west of Dillingham, had seen the winged creature but they were skeptical about its reported size.

"I'm certainly not aware of anything with a 14-foot wingspan that's been alive for the last 100,000 years," the paper quoted raptor specialist Phil Schemf as saying.

Coupchiak said the bird disappeared over the hill and he then radioed Togiak residents to tell them to keep their children in.

Another local resident, a pilot who had initially dismissed the reports, said he recently saw the bird from a distance of just 1,000 feet while flying his airplane.

"The people in the plane saw him," John Bouker was quoted as saying. "He's huge, he's huge, he's really, really big. You wouldn't want to have your children out."

Schemf and Rob Macdonald of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said there had been several sightings over the past year and a half of a Steller's eagle, a fish-eating bird that can weigh 20 pounds (10 kg) and have a wingspan of eight feet, the newspaper reported.”

“Experimental aircraft.”

“Buckle up everyone, it is harder for the aliens to suck you out!!”

“I wonder what would happen if one of these buggers flew into a windmill ...”

“I wonder what would happen if one of those flew into the glass doors on the back of my house like some of it's smaller cousins do.”

“I'm not sure what is more outrageous, a bird with a 14' wingspan or a plane with a 14' wingspan.

However, I wouldn't want either flying thru the patio doors.”

“I may have some windmills for them yet, but they'll have to fly to West By God (and smile when you say it) Virginia!

(Hot dang, look at all them flat windmills!!!)”

“Maybe they had nuclear testing up there.

I would love to see a bird that size.”

“RODAN!!!!!!!

Somebody go get Godzilla.”

“Years ago in Alaska, a newspaper story reported an eagle carried off a poodle to the extreme shock of the tourist owner. A friend told me within a day or two, many of the Tee shirt and sweatshirt shops in Alaska were sporting clothing showing an eagle flying off with a poodle trailing a leash with some very witty sayings, like "Alaskan Pet Control".

This latest sighting in Alaska is probably just testing of an unmanned military drone disguised as a bird to fool enemy soldiers.”

“Turns out this was probably an eagle or other large bird with an 8 foot wingspan, and an overexcited "witness" who can't measure by eye.”

“I really think it was a mutant Adirondacks mosquito go astray.”

“You've heard of "bigfoot"?

This was "bigclaw".”

“Or "Bigwing".”

“Those skeeters in the Daks are so big they have FAA wing numbers.”

“I thought someone was spoofing, until I read about this exact thing in the national section of my local newspaper. Maybe the entire planet is unevolving. Our children will be born with vestigal tails, and an urge to hunt for food with a big stick.

Or maybe not. Cool story anyway.”

“I suspect it was a turkey vulture. When I was young, say 30 years ago, we were told that the only nesting vultures in Canada were in the badlands of southwestern Alberta. One jumped up in front of my little Colt car about five years ago and scared the bejaysus outta me. I was afraid to tel anyone (I was sue of my sighting) for the same reason as people are reluctant to talk about UFO's.

Well, I spoke to a colleague whose backgroung is wildlife biology and he told me that there are nesting pairs in Parc de la Mauricie, where his brother is director - about a two hour drive north of Montreal.

There was a documentary on CBC radio called 'No Word for Lightning' about climate change in the high Arctic. Apparently the Innuit also do not have a word for robin and robins now nest in the far North.

I'd go for the 2 metre wingspan of the turkey vulture. Scared me!”

“I came up on a couple of turkey vultures riding my bicycle on a dirt road. I crested a hill about 100 feet from them and surprised them. They took off and I passed just under them. They are HUGE! I don't know who was more startled.”

“Just to clarify. I was the one riding the bicycle, not the birds.”

“If you think I'm gonna believe that a couple of turkey vultures were riding your bicycle Violin, ...”

“Violin
"That thing is obviously swollen and probably infected. It's beyond anything I've ever seen, and I've seen some grodey foot problems. I'm not kidding, you should seek medical attention. If you play around with it and infection sets in seriously, it might be too late. Let's put it this way, how far you gonna backpack with one foot? Nothing to play with or take lightly. The itching is probably caused by the swelling. That's one nasty problem."
- Geobeet
10:20:59 AM
06/07/02”

“ROFL!!!Silly boys.”

“That's why I don't believe you.”

“According to a usually unreliable source ...”

“Violin riding a bike, a turkey riding a bike...who could tell the difference?
8)”

“oh wait, you said turkey vultures. whatever those are. still...”

“Oh yeah?! Well your just a... a...


Give me a minute...”