Witness Reports 2011 Sighting of 'Humanoid' with 'Bat-Like Wings' near Downers Grove, Illinois

Lon Strickler of Phantoms & Monsters received a report from a witness earlier this month that described a sighting experienced in the fall of 2011.

All correspondence was signed “Mike,” which is presumably the witness’ first name.

According to the report:

Though I've spoke of my encounters at least a [thousand] times, I've always attributed the sightings to a giant owl or bat of some kind. I realize today, that this creature was way too big to be any bird. Anyway, about 2011 or so, in the fall, my brother-in-law and I were sitting around a small bonfire in my backyard on a beautiful Indian summer night enjoying what was left of the nice weather.
All of a sudden, my brother-in-law whispers, "Dude, check that out." I slowly turned to look toward the south, where he seemed to be focused, and asked what he was looking at. He said look at the big oak [tree] two houses down. I did, as he started lining me up using a few landmarks, and just then I noticed what he was looking at about 20 feet up in the tree.
This huge creature seemed to kind of jump, maybe dead drop out intentionally. It fell forward, spreading or opening what looked more like bat wings or a cape, then a set of wings. They never closed or even flapped before this thing disappeared behind the fence. In other words, it glided from at least 20 feet up almost straight down until it disappeared behind the fence.
There was no noise from the tree branches, not a crackle from the [leaves] it landed on nor a sound from anything. None at all, dead silence! Needless to say, because [of] both of us seeing the same thing, we were freaked out. We quickly went inside, trying to rationalize the whole thing. We decided we'd call it a big owl from then on! I've always thought it was something other than a bird! He and I will still occasionally joke about that night being the "Batman" experience!

In a follow up, Mike added:

Sorry, [I] didn't realize I hadn't mentioned my location. Anyway, I'm in [the] far northwest corner of Downers Grove, Illinois, very close to the Morton Arboretum. Lots of open land and forest preserves. In the last two weeks we had three wild turkeys in the front yard, a first, and a snow owl in a small tree out in front of the house, another first, simply because it was mid-morning. We've had just about every indigenous animal you can think of here over the last 22 years, though nothing shocked me like that night all those years ago!

Strickler was able to speak to Mike over the telephone.

"I called and talked to the witness," he said. "I also received verification from the brother-in-law, and I may talk a bit more with him. The size was estimated to be six feet in height and definitely humanoid, with legs and attached arms to the bat-like wings. Black in color with a wing span of 10 feet or so. Lights from the street and neighbor's house helped to illuminate the being, but they were unable to get specific details of the face. The time was estimated to be before midnight."

The witness’ description puts the sighting location approximately 25 miles west of Lake Michigan. Downers Grove is on the western edge of the Chicago metropolitan area, and is bordered to the northwest by the Morton Arboretum and Hidden Lake Forest Preserve.

This is the latest news in a string of ‘Mothman’ sightings from within a few hundred mile radius surrounding Lake Michigan, including every state bordering the great lake. These sightings ostensibly began in the spring of 2017, but more historical accounts are being reported as more people become aware of the phenomenon. Sightings of weird winged beings around Lake Michigan have been reported at all hours, often in or near a park, and around water. Witnesses consistently describe a large, gray or black bat or bird-like creature—although in a small number of cases the creature was described as insect-like—sometimes with glowing or reflective red, yellow, or orange eyes; and humanoid features such as arms and legs are often reported. Many of the sightings are also of something seen only briefly or are described only as a flying creature with few details, which leaves open the possibility that a large avian being could explain some encounters. Sightings of anomalous avians, including thunderbirds and pterosaurs, are often reported in or near the same locations as those where witnesses have reported winged humanoids.

To report a sighting, reach out to us directly at the Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

You can view a timeline of the sightings so far here, and an interactive map here.

To report your own encounter with the impossible, reach out to us directly at the Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

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