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I had an interesting experience dayhiking on Mt. Lemmon yesterday. While standing on a big rock near Windy Point, I heard a sound like the sky being ripped in half, right next to my ear. I instinctively turned my head back to the direction it was going, and the sound's source was already a few hundred feet away, too far to positively ID. It was a swallow or some such bird that must have plummeted straight down (since I didn't see it coming toward me) and broke out of its dive at head level, about three feet from my left ear. The wind coming off its wing sounded like a jet engine. I figure it must have been going at least 150 mph.

Has anyone experienced something like this? It was a first for me.

azbackpackr wrote:At least someone likes my jokes! ;)

Sorry I missed your feral joke post..

johnlp wrote: Not a welcome site to turn around and see an owl coming straight for your head.

Owls fly quiet, too. You won't hear anything until it's too late.

Sounds like you experienced a "Close Encounter of the Bird Kind"

Rick Vincent wrote:Sounds like you experienced a "Close Encounter of the Bird Kind"