I think this has to be 1 of 2 things, and I have thought this all along. It is either a known species confused for something unknown, or it is an escaped exotic pet. But since there has only been 1 single sighting in approx. 6 years, and all we have as evidence is an admittedly “poor” illustration that doesn’t clearly depict the creature for readers to get a true visual idea of what it really looked like, then we really have nothing to debate about, as far as I’m concerned, and that’s just my opinion.

This debate seems to have quickly went from readers here looking at the photo and posting their opinions (based on the evidence provided), to Pastor Swope’s loyal “readers” telling us that we should believe that it’s not a chicken because “Pastor Swope knows it’s not a chicken and he’s encountered anomalous birds and strange/weird things in the past”. I’m sorry, but that’s not enough for me. And without better proof than the “illustration”, there is no need for me to dig deeper than what I already have. I read all this here, all of Pastor Swope’s blog and the respective comments and I still have no better guesses than a chicken or rail.

If Pastor Swope can provide a very clear illustration of exactly what the animal he encountered looked like, I’m sure at least one of the readers here can provide a reasonable explanation.

And for the record, I never directly called Pastor Swope a “cuckoo”. I simply remarked about one of the posts saying that the elaborate defense saying he’s encountered numerous cryptids made him sound a little cuckoo, because to me, it did sound a little on the goofy side. And I was sincerely joking around because I found that post very humorous. I never meant it to be a personal insult to the pastor, I was simply poking fun at the way the “poster” reacted to my comment about the photo because it was a little over-the-top and not at all objective. “Readers” from his site made very defensive posts when a couple of posts went up saying it looked like a chicken, seeming angry that readers and posters here would even suggest that. But, I mean, if you post a photo that looks similar to a chicken, what do you expect?? And some of Pastor Swope’s readers that came rushing to his defense provided no real evidence other than saying basically “he knows it’s not a chicken”.

But if I offended you in any way Pastor Swope, or seemed as though I was attacking you personally, I sincerely apologize.

I don’t know what exactly you mean by your comments of him not claiming to be a biologist, saying that most commenters here are not scientists, or pulling out your graduate work. For our part Cliffhanger is an engineer and I do research on the effects of invasive species on native ecologies in Japan, as well as teaching biology (so in actuality, I guess you could say that we are scientists), but we don’t come on here pulling expert cards as you appear to be doing. Besides, this has nothing to do with the subject at hand, which is approaching evidence scientifically. This is something even a non scientist can appreciate the importance of.

Please read my post again. I just think that every angle has to be considered, and I agreed with cliffhanger in that respect, so why does that have to be considered a dig at Mr. Swope? It isn’t intended to be. I think you’ll find that it was not me who called Mr. Swope names. I have at no point called Pastor Swope a liar or even claimed it must have been a chicken he saw. I don’t know what it was, but I’d be willing to look at all of the options without being accused of mockery. I have not mocked him or his beliefs, or anything of the sort in my comment, and I think you were perhaps a bit out of line to direct your comment at me in that manner.

I see no reason to question Swopes’ claim that he knows chickens, and this was no chicken. He saw what he saw, and I think he was asking: what do you think it was? It’s one thing to offer an answer to his question in a helpful spirit, it’s another to offer mockery. But then, he’s just some Christian pastor running a paranormal blog, and I have to wonder if that is the real issue some of you have with his observations.

I think it is stereotypical and intellectually bigoted to call someone who simply backs up my claims a ‘follower’. Echoing the great Stan Lee I must say, ‘Nuff Said on that point.

I have little analysis because there was but at the most 10 minutes with the bird. But having spent over 10 years of my young life sending such fowl to the dinner table I am pretty darn sure it was not a future tasty snack I saw on a dirt road 6 years ago, even if the darn thing followed the truck for about 100 feet.

And yes, I have to admit my photoshop rendering does look a little fowl.

I do not ask anyone to take my word for it, heck if anyone reads my blog you know there are a lot of stories I retell there that I myself have a hard time to believe.

But I like to believe, even in the face of logic.

But as an avid naturist and having spent a good time in the Pennsylvania woods, I have to say I have never seen such a bird before. Even on a dinner plate. I am not sure if said bird was even suitable for munching.

What was it? OOP avian? Perhaps.

With any luck I can come up with a suitable likeness or even an example of the avian that I saw all those years ago.

But I have to say with all sincerity. I know it was not a chicken. Just because I used chicken legs in the photoshop reconstruction of the creature don’t make it so….

I really am a little tired of the old chestnut that we are somehow “small minded” or “petty” because we actually yearn for more and better information rather than taking everything at face value. I DO have a sense of wonder, which is why I really want to get at what is really going on based on proper analysis. To me this is the truly open minded approach.

So I “wondered” quite a bit about Pastor Swope’s bird, and put alot of thought into it, read all the comments, carefully considered each one, read Pastor Swope’s blog, considered some more…..Yeah, I guess we’re all just small-minded, lol, just because we’re not Pastor’s Swope’s followers and will believe anything that he says and take it at face value without careful analysis…..