The Singular Fortean Society recently spoke via email to a woman who said she was awoken in the early morning hours of March 6th by strange growling noises outside of her home in Woodstock, Illinois.

The initial email contact came from her husband.

My wife described hearing unusual animal type verbal noises a few days ago. Nothing she has heard before. It wasn't any animal, not a raccoon, deer, possum, cat, or dog, or bird. Nothing like anything she'd ever heard, except it sounded like a wild growl. But not an animal, more an odd creature sounding...it sounded like a creature...of unknown origin. Very scary, [she] was woke up by this in the middle of the night, about 1:30 a.m. She was wide awake when the noises occurred.

In subsequent emails, the Singular Fortean Society was able to communicate directly with the witness, who asked to be referred to only as Lisa W.

Lisa was alone in the house when she heard the noise, since her husband was away on business.

"As strange as this will sound, the best way to describe the noise would be like a creature sound from a movie. Not howling, more sinister and demon/monster-like," she explained. "The sound I heard happened twice, then stopped. I sat up in bed, didn't move, (made sure I was fully awake), and knew it was coming a distance away from our building. About 1:30 in the morning as I looked at the clock."

Nothing outside was disturbed, as far as Lisa could tell; although, admittedly, she did not investigate.

"It was very late and I didn't leave to go outside to look around," she said. "Actually, I would have been too afraid! I didn't know how far the noise was, so I didn't think to go looking for tracks. Maybe I should have, but it seemed a bit far and as I said, it was very late at night and [my husband] was gone. It woke me up. If I hear anymore I'll try to look and see if I can find anything or see anything."

Lisa and her husband live near the western edge of town, just south of Bates Park; less than two miles southeast is Dufield Pond Conservation Area, the site of a February 22nd encounter with a large, winged being “covered in fur.” Another sighting reportedly occurred less than two weeks later on Rose Farm Road in Woodstock.

This is the latest news in a string of flying creature 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. They generally take place in the evening or at night, 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 bird or bird-like being could explain some encounters.

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.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to support the Singular Fortean Society, please consider becoming an official member by signing up through our Patreon page—membership includes a ton of extra content and behind-the-scenes access to the Society’s inner workings.