There arose such a clatter...

[glowdotGlock]

I was woke up by my ol' lady a little bit ago by her shaking me and saying there was someone outside on our back porch. I paused for a second to fully awake and I heard all sorts of racket from right outside the back door. I followed my Glock 22 around trough the kitchen to cut of a small little night light lamp so I could have the house dark to peak outside through a window. What I saw kinda shocked me and relieved me at the same time. A big ol' bird just messing around on the porch. It was making a hell of a racket. I stuck my head out and it flew up in a tree so I went out and got a pic. I'm guessing it's a crane

Edited October 13, 2012 by glowdotGlock

[glowdotGlock]

Looks like it's been "roosting" here for a while but I've just never heard it.

[MattCary]

Glad it was something harmless. I'll bet it got your juices flowing, though.

[tyguy]

Blue heron I think.

[runco]

That neck makes me think about the Christmas dinner in the move Christmas Story @ the Chinese resturant. I think I must have Christmas on my mind this morning. I am trying to think of my Christmas list to give to my wife for me....

[jtmaze]

Same thing happens to a buddy of mine a few months ago but was in his barn. It was 2 vultures fighting/mating. He said they were making a noise like he had never heard. It's crazy what will get you going in the night.

JTM

Sent from my iPhone

[RED333]

So glad it truned out good.

Now I can Laugh with ya.

[glowdotGlock]

You've got that right. Got me awake very quick. Usually my lab "Colt" will bark and let me know if so much as a squirrel runs by but he must have been off drinkin' somewhere last night being the weekend and all

[TGO David]

There's a mess of Blue Herrons that nest in the trees off of SR-840 on some land between Cox Road and Arno Road. Obviously there's more of them in the area than that, as proven by your picture.

[gjohnsoniv]

That doesn't look like a heron with those webbed feet.

[TGO David]

That doesn't look like a heron with those webbed feet.

Maybe it's a Huck.

[TGO David]

Or a Chupacabra.

[TGO David]

Probably a Chupacabra. I'd arm up if I were the OP.

[gjohnsoniv]

Or a Chupacabra.

I like that explanation better.

[glowdotGlock]

I hope it comes back tonight. My girlfriend's little sister had gotten some shells from the creek a few days ago and left them on my back porch and I think there may have been a few with some meat left in them because it was just going crazy on that dog water bowl full of shells.

[ShamGlock]

I have spent two months in Central America, which pretty much makes me a chupacabra expert. That Sir, is no chupacabra. I do feel it is the distant, not quite as lethal, cousin conecabra. I would still go to defcon 3 if I were you.

[BrasilNuts]

Crazy as a Loon.

[RED333]

Now that I look at it for a bit, THAT IS A SNIPE!!!

Anyone got a bag, lets go snipe hunting!!!

[Oh Shoot]

Now that I look at it for a bit, THAT IS A SNIPE!!!

Anyone got a bag, lets go snipe hunting!!!

We really do have them, ya know.

But ain't nobody ever caught one in a bag.

And yep, I've been in on a few snipe hunts in my youth. With bags. As both victim and perpetrator.

- OS

Edited October 14, 2012 by OhShoot

[Oh Shoot]

That doesn't look like a heron with those webbed feet.

Gotta be a trick of light/shadow. Feet look almost crudely Photoshopped in, just low rez and small in the frame with legs not extended I guess.

But surely it's a Great Blue, the other few large waders we have don't look anything like them? Then again, hard to get a real scale of it's actual size, but if that's a 2x8 it's on, looks like a youngun.

- OS

Edited October 14, 2012 by OhShoot

[gjohnsoniv]

Gotta be a trick of light/shadow. Feet look almost crudely Photoshopped in, just low rez and small in the frame with legs not extended I guess.

But surely it's a Great Blue, the other few large waders we have don't look anything like them? Then again, hard to get a real scale of it's actual size, but if that's a 2x8 it's on, looks like a youngun.

- OS

Just for the sake of arguing with you, I say it's a Cormorant. I know they are in TN for the winter, or at least I think they are. Edited October 14, 2012 by gjohnsoniv

[Oh Shoot]

Just for the sake of arguing with you, I say it's a Cormorant. I know they are in TN for the winter, or at least I think they are.

You could be right. Especially if those legs are all he's got -- and if those feet are truly webbed, then you're almost certainly right.

"Status in Tennessee: Double-crested Cormorants are an uncommon migrant and winter resident in East Tennessee, and a fairly common migrant and winter resident in Middle and West Tennessee. They are an uncommon breeding bird in the state, but numbers are increasing rapidly. Double-crested Cormorants were formerly listed as In-Need-of-Management in Tennessee when the breeding population disappeared and wintering populations were very low."

http://www.tnwatchablewildlife.org/details.cfm?displayhabitat=water&sort=aounumber&typename=WATER&uid=09042709213852092&commonname=Double-crested%20Cormorant

- OS

Edited October 14, 2012 by OhShoot

[Mike.357]

Just for the sake of arguing with you, I say it's a Cormorant. I know they are in TN for the winter, or at least I think they are.

I did not know Cormorants spend time in TN but that is what it looks like to me, especially with the web like feet.

[gjohnsoniv]

The only reason I say that is because the legs look far too stubby to be a Blue Heron.

[Garufa]

One thing I can say for certain is that is not a Heron. I vote on Cormorant.