Can anyone help me identify this winged thing?

For those who don't want to read all I'm about to write, what me and my friend saw were two huge wings (at least 3 feet long, probably more like 4) arise out of some big bushes. All I can think of it being is a Heron.

Here's the full story......We were traveling from central California to the Bay Area last sunday night. We were on highway 580 around midnite and at this moment there weren't any cars around us at all. We were in a big truck and we were in the far left lane of the highway. All of the sudden these two huge wings arose from the bushes on the side of the road, all either of us saw were the wings. They were at least 3 feet long, but probably longer. They were completely grey.
My friend swerved into the right lane because he thought this thing was going to fly in front of the truck, it was literally just a couple feet to the left of us as we past it, but it must have flown in the opposite direction. The wings were open in a way that the thing would have to fly to the left, not onto the road unless it turned around. My friend and I both saw the same exact thing, huge grey wings. My friend and I thought about the movie Jeepers Creepers and joked that the thing would soon be on top of the car. We were kind of spooked though and we kept trying to figure out just what it was. When it happened I tried to see it through the rear window of the truck but with it being dark out, the window tinted and no other cars around I couldn't see anything. I've since told my best friend about it and she said it was probably and eagle or heron. I know it wasn't an eagle, but she may be right about it being a heron because the wings were shaped just like this www.becci.com...
except they were totally grey.

What I'm wondering is can anyone help me out with this, I have a few questions.

Are there Herons in Central California, we were nowhere near a lake or anything like that.

Why was a huge bird in some bushes just off the side of a major highway at midnite?

I've never really seen any birds at night before, certainly not next to the highway. I just can't believe the size of those wings.

Thanks for any help you might have to offer as to what I really saw.

no herons are rare in central california. It could have been a misplaced heron though. Or even a misplaced stork.Herons are seen in california but they get nowhere near that big.

here are possibilities
1-Extremely large misplaced heron.
2- large misplaced stork
3-Mothman
4-thunderbird
5- pterodactyl(yes there are reports of pterodactyls still living)
6- a large california condor which are rare but native to central california.but that big?
7- you are lying and/or exaggerating
8 you were high on a hallucinagen
9- you were drunk.

I'm not lying or exaggerating and I don't drink or do drugs. The other thing I forgot to mention is that it had a really pronounced wing bone, like say you stuck your arm out and had a huge wing protruding from your arm. It's wing bone was really noticeable, not as thick as a human arm but I could definitely notice it. The thing that gets me is that I've never seen a bird that big before and I've never seen a bird at night. It was definitely much bigger than the hawks I usually see flying around central california in the day. By Central California I mean I was just outside of Modesto. Also I forgot to mention, I assume it rose out of those bushes because of the headlights of the truck, I could be wrong but that's why I assumed it flew up like that. My friend and I both saw the exact same thing, the wings and described it to each other in the same manner. We had the radio on loud and the windows up so neither of us heard any oustide noise.

[edit on 15-7-2004 by ThoughtPolice]

it looks like a fliminlgo with bleched feathers
its also looks like a mythology creature
i rember crossing one of these
its was a seledomp
somthing like that propley got name wrong might be a flimingo with bleached feathers

im going witht hat answer

its a hearing

a tall bird with grey feathers they tend to live over here in new zealand in like mossys swampy places like down this creek out the back of my house
i think its one of those

Originally posted by machinegunjordan
Herons are seen in california but they get nowhere near that big.

I'm gonna disagree here. I've seen quite a few herons in my life, they're common around here, and I think some of them can easily reach such size.

During my younth, I've probably saw some of similar size. I live near a river, and there's fields and forests all around here. Thoses birds are impressives, and when they pull them self from the ground and start to fly, it's quite something to see.

There are a number of cranes and herons that occur in the area you described. Probably the largest candidate is the Sandhill Crane. If so, you are lucky. They are a threatened species.

Similar wings and large in California might be a condor, but the colors are darker than what you described.

Originally posted by Spectre
There are a number of cranes and herons that occur in the area you described. Probably the largest candidate is the Sandhill Crane. If so, you are lucky. They are a threatened species.

the wings were similar to that except the top wing bone was much more pronounced, it almost looked like a thick arm and the feathers weren't all the way across the bone, they started a few inches after the bone, I'll draw a picture on MS Paint tonight.

I'm not a very good artist at all but that's what I saw that night. That's the best I could do with MS Paint.

[edit on 15-7-2004 by ThoughtPolice]

well yes stork species, crane species, maybe a california condor, and no a herron gets nowhere near a 3-4 foot wing nowhere near that big morbid and trust me i live on the elizabeth river and there everywhere here. and leaporcornman he never showed a picture of what he saw . it was just a reference of wings so you dont know its a herron. and a flamingo lives nowhere near california and how would its feathers get bleached that idea is stupid.

Originally posted by machinegunjordan
...no a herron gets nowhere near a 3-4 foot wing nowhere near that big morbid and trust me i live on the elizabeth river and there everywhere here.

You are incorrect. The Great Blue Heron, which lives all over N. America, can easily reach a wingspan of over five feet. Its color is also a bluish-grey.
Great Blue Heron

edit: spelling

[edit on 15-7-2004 by Spectre]

well spectre i guess animal planet knows but my bird book tells me different plus i have never seen a heron that big.

That was a handy link with the information. There are lots more. Feel free to search for more information on the web and post any that contradict this. Also, what is the bird book you are consulting? I have quite a collection of zoological and ornithological texts, so I may have a copy myself.

...and I have seen herons that size.

ThoughtPolice, how does this photo compare to what you recall of the wings? This is a bit of a different perspective.


[edit on 16-7-2004 by Spectre]

Originally posted by Spectre
That was a handy link with the information. There are lots more. Feel free to search for more information on the web and post any that contradict this. Also, what is the bird book you are consulting? I have quite a collection of zoological and ornithological texts, so I may have a copy myself.

Also, I have seen herons that size.

ThoughtPolice, how does this photo compare to what you recall of the wings? This is a bit of a different perspective.

It looked a lot like that exceot the feathers didn't touch the body. It's like if you stretch out your arm and have feathers sticking out of your forearm and your upper arm was bear.

maybe it was a lost herron from Washington?
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Possibly a frigate bird- especially since you sighted in a near coastal area. And they are big birds.

My guess is it was an Owl. They are nocternal.



Same thing happend to me while walking my dog around 3am one morning. Scared the crap out of me and the dog. I looked up at this thing with wings. It was huge and all I coule make out was a large dark shadow of a bird. I watched a bit more from my porch and saw it fly to different trees. I dont know what kind of owl it was but I'm positive it was. Other neighbors have seen it too. They are amazing birds.

It probably caught a mouse or something and you scared it during your approach.

Originally posted by ThoughtPolice
For those who don't want to read all I'm about to write, what me and my friend saw were two huge wings (at least 3 feet long, probably more like 4) arise out of some big bushes. All I can think of it being is a Heron.

Are there Herons in Central California, we were nowhere near a lake or anything like that.

Why was a huge bird in some bushes just off the side of a major highway at midnite?

I've never really seen any birds at night before, certainly not next to the highway. I just can't believe the size of those wings.

Thanks for any help you might have to offer as to what I really saw.

Positive they were that big?? If it was dark, how could you tell? What were you, drunk and commin back from a party stoned?

Lesser Blue Herren, or Blue Herren.
john