What's making this creepy noise?

July 27, 2016 4:10 PM

Can anyone identify the creature making the noise heard at the very beginning and very end of this video? (turn it up) Creepy noise!

I've heard this noise in the woods behind our house the past few nights. For the video I went as close to the edge of the woods as I dared, and then ran like heck back inside. It does not help that we've been hearing it while watching Stranger Things.

Possibly relevant:

We live in seacoast New Hampshire.
We hear this only after sunset.
It's at ground level, and travels from one side of the yard to the other.
We rarely see wildlife other than squirrels and rabbits, and on one rare occasion a fisher cat.

I've tweeted the video to the NH Fish & Wildlife account with no reply.

Owl? Frog? Escapee from the Vale of Shadows?

posted by schoolgirl report to Pets & Animals (5 answers total)

Best answer: That's a juvenile owl. Probably a barred owl.
posted by isthmus at 4:21 PM on July 27, 2016 [6 favorites]

Response by poster: Oh wow, how cool!
posted by schoolgirl report at 4:37 PM on July 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Seconding young owl, they are so damned creepy sounding. The second call in the fledgling begging call on this page sounds like what you heard.
posted by jessamyn at 5:03 PM on July 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

Not quite the samebgiy, but I can't help but think of this: NSFW / language
posted by es_de_bah at 10:46 AM on July 31, 2016

I'd guess barn owl: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=95TwMzHbPk8
posted by Fantods at 12:24 AM on August 9, 2016