This afternoon, I was sitting in my back yard, listening to a SOTT podcast (Laura's interview) on my IPOD when I glanced up at the sky to the east and saw in the distance what I first thought were a white flock of seagulls. I'm about 25 miles from the Northern California coast, so seeing a flock of seagulls isn't that unusual, save that it was hot and dry in the valley today, and there wasn't any heavy fog, strong coastal winds, or storm clouds to shoo them inland. Nor did I hear their familiar cries in the distance.
A few moments later, I noticed the seagulls weren't flying like a bird flock. I quickly turned off my IPOD and saw that the birds had become silvery orb shapes and flew apart in distinct circular and oval patterns in a stationary area above the mountain range a few miles to the east of me for about 15 minutes. I estimate there were about two dozen or more silvery shapes (they looked roundish) that dipped gracefully in and out, sometimes breaking apart evenly to form two interlocking ovals. The shapes became more luminous (could be the sun hitting them) and would break off from the main circle (well, it was more like an open oval) to move straight up and down, then dip back into different formations that looked kinda like some crop circle designs...or like Spirographs in the sky.
(Gotta be a US baby boomer to remember that toy!)
The lights...birds...whatever...faded in and out during that time, becoming white orbs, then silvery. Again, this could have been because of the sun, but they sure didn't look like birds at that point. The skies were clear, save for a small, wispy cloud floating to the left of the sighting. (It looked odd in the clear sky...like a balloon with a tail.) A plane flew overhead to the west of the valley, but other than a few birds chirping in my redwood trees, it was relatively quiet. (I live on the edge of some rural farm land...or a Greenbelt as Californians call them.)
My husband was not at home, and wouldn't you know it, he had taken our camera and video recording equipment with him. I think it's time I invested in one of those photo cell phones. (They remind me of teeny bopper toys, but I sure could have used one then, although I doubt if I could have cleary captured the interesting activity in a few stills.) I called to my teenaged son to come out and see, but he thinks I'm crazy. ("It's only birds, mom!" How would he know? He didn't bother to watch!) Well, if it was birds, they should be in a circus after such a performance.
I'd like to note that I was not afraid...I was a little confused, yet facinated by the sight. (I did shake a bit after it was all over.)
Okay, so the UFOs/bird flock...whatever it was...remained in about the same space doing what I thought was a mesmerizing, graceful, everchanging visual display, before it became more compact (a fat, floating oval shape so to speak) and drifted west over the mountain range about 2:56 PM. Then it faded...disappeared...just like that...or perhaps I couldn't see it any longer.
As I was walking back to the house I glanced up at the sky to the south and noticed a cobwebby contrail that had a pattern resembling an audio sound wave. (I work in sound, so I could be imagining that pattern.) 45 minutes later, the contrail that looked like a giant sound wave had moved and was now stretched out over my house, with the skies filling up with several more contrail cobwebs that also resembled what looked like sound waves to me. That's weird in itself.)
Back to the initial event.
Minutes later, I emailed someone regarding the activity, then calmed myself, and set to work writing down my impressions and sketching some of the pattern formations I could remember.
Does anyone know what the procedure is to call and/or research about such sightings? Should I make a report to MUFON? I've never done anything like that before. (I think I might have seen something odd in the skies when I was a kid, but until now I never really thought about what I might do if I saw something strange.)
If it turns out to be birds, I'd feel a bit silly. Then, again, at the time I observed it happening it didn't look natural.
A few moments later, I noticed the seagulls weren't flying like a bird flock. I quickly turned off my IPOD and saw that the birds had become silvery orb shapes and flew apart in distinct circular and oval patterns in a stationary area above the mountain range a few miles to the east of me for about 15 minutes. I estimate there were about two dozen or more silvery shapes (they looked roundish) that dipped gracefully in and out, sometimes breaking apart evenly to form two interlocking ovals. The shapes became more luminous (could be the sun hitting them) and would break off from the main circle (well, it was more like an open oval) to move straight up and down, then dip back into different formations that looked kinda like some crop circle designs...or like Spirographs in the sky.
(Gotta be a US baby boomer to remember that toy!)
The lights...birds...whatever...faded in and out during that time, becoming white orbs, then silvery. Again, this could have been because of the sun, but they sure didn't look like birds at that point. The skies were clear, save for a small, wispy cloud floating to the left of the sighting. (It looked odd in the clear sky...like a balloon with a tail.) A plane flew overhead to the west of the valley, but other than a few birds chirping in my redwood trees, it was relatively quiet. (I live on the edge of some rural farm land...or a Greenbelt as Californians call them.)
My husband was not at home, and wouldn't you know it, he had taken our camera and video recording equipment with him. I think it's time I invested in one of those photo cell phones. (They remind me of teeny bopper toys, but I sure could have used one then, although I doubt if I could have cleary captured the interesting activity in a few stills.) I called to my teenaged son to come out and see, but he thinks I'm crazy. ("It's only birds, mom!" How would he know? He didn't bother to watch!) Well, if it was birds, they should be in a circus after such a performance.
I'd like to note that I was not afraid...I was a little confused, yet facinated by the sight. (I did shake a bit after it was all over.)
Okay, so the UFOs/bird flock...whatever it was...remained in about the same space doing what I thought was a mesmerizing, graceful, everchanging visual display, before it became more compact (a fat, floating oval shape so to speak) and drifted west over the mountain range about 2:56 PM. Then it faded...disappeared...just like that...or perhaps I couldn't see it any longer.
As I was walking back to the house I glanced up at the sky to the south and noticed a cobwebby contrail that had a pattern resembling an audio sound wave. (I work in sound, so I could be imagining that pattern.) 45 minutes later, the contrail that looked like a giant sound wave had moved and was now stretched out over my house, with the skies filling up with several more contrail cobwebs that also resembled what looked like sound waves to me. That's weird in itself.)
Back to the initial event.
Minutes later, I emailed someone regarding the activity, then calmed myself, and set to work writing down my impressions and sketching some of the pattern formations I could remember.
Does anyone know what the procedure is to call and/or research about such sightings? Should I make a report to MUFON? I've never done anything like that before. (I think I might have seen something odd in the skies when I was a kid, but until now I never really thought about what I might do if I saw something strange.)
If it turns out to be birds, I'd feel a bit silly. Then, again, at the time I observed it happening it didn't look natural.
