Does a mythical bird inhabit the Patapsco State Park, near Ilchester, Maryland? Could it be a 'Phoenix,' the renowned 'Firebird,' the immortal bird that supposedly rises from the ashes?
I was thumbing through old investigation files when I came across notations I had made regarding an unknown bird-like creature. The sightings were reported in 1985 and continued into 1987. It was an odd situation because I knew a few of the witnesses and I was also employed nearby at the time of the sightings.
During the afternoon of May 5, 1985, I received a telephone call from Alfred M., the initial witness. He and 2 other men had seen a large bird-like creature perched in a hickory tree while driving south on Thistle Rd. toward River Rd. adjacent to the Patapsco State Park in Southwest Baltimore County, Maryland. Alfred stopped the vehicle and watched the creature for several minutes. It eventually flew out of the tree and landed approximately 50 feet from the road where the witnesses were able to get a keen observation of the creature.
Albert stated that it stood 4-5 feet high and was greenish-blue in color except for the head which was bright red. The wing span was enormous, he estimated it at 15 feet or more tip-to-tip. The legs were thick and long with distinguishable talons. The eyes were also noticeable, slanted, and large with a bright yellow hue. It also made 'clucking and cackle' sounds. After a minute or so, it unfurled its wings and took flight towards the east. Alfred said it reminded him of a hybrid 'dragon and peacock,' which he thought was crazy but he stuck with the description.
At the time, I thought that the creature was either a large turkey buzzard or maybe a peacock someone may have had as a pet. In fact, a peacock farm did exist in the area back in the 1950s according to people I interviewed. I went to the location but found no evidence supporting the sighting.
Later that year, I heard a rumor of a large bird being seen near the Hilton Area of the Patapsco State Park on Hilltop Rd. After several inquiries, I was able to locate the witness, Darlene M., who confirmed the sighting. She and her daughter lived nearby and had been walking along Hilltop Rd. when they observed a huge bird flying towards them. Darlene stated that the creature got within 20 feet of them then suddenly changed direction and flew into the woods. She said that they were terrified, she was sure it was going to hit them. She had gone to the library to see if she could find a picture of the creature. She found an old illustration of a Fung Hwang, or Chinese Phoenix, and said it looked very similar to what they observed. She described the head as a vibrant red with fierce eyes. The wings were bright red and tipped with large green feathers. It flew by so quickly that she was unable to get a better description.
Once again I was stumped by the sighting. I talked to two ornithologists who thought I was delusional. I also contacted the state park service and asked if they had heard of any strange reports. Nothing, though they were amused by the questions.
On the morning of April 29, 1986, several employees at the local paper mill observed a large bird standing in the loading area. According to the witnesses, this creature fit the description of a very large peacock, but there were some oddities. The head was red in color and it didn't have the long plumes. Other than those anomalies the overall description pointed towards a peacock. Could there be a breeding population in the state park?
In January 1987 a truck driver (Robert S.) was heading south on Thistle Rd. and was startled by a huge bird that flew across the road in front of his vehicle. I was able to interview him by telephone a few days later (he lived in Edison, NJ). His impression was that it 'looked like a dragon.' There was snow on the ground and the creature silhouetted well enough to get a quick but detailed look. Robert stated that it was 'as long as his truck was wide' and 'was powerfully built'. He also confirmed it had a red-colored head and greenish-blue body and wings.
At this point, I had nothing more than anecdotal evidence. There was no natural explanation for the existence of this creature. Even today I have little to go on because I simply have not come across another cryptid that matches the description.
The final sighting, as far as I know, took place on June 30, 1987. The witness, David, was a Baltimore Gas and Electric employee who, along with his partner, was working along the power line that runs north to south through the state park. At a point north of Hilltop Rd. near the old mill village is an abandoned church graveyard. The former church was razed in the 1930s but the graveyard was left on its own, thus, it was severely overgrown by the woods. David observed a large bird-like creature that he described as a 'Gryphon,' though he admits that he didn't get a very good look at it. He only noticed the creature after hearing a rustling sound which he thought was probably deer moving through the woods. He said the creature raised up from a rock, spread its wings and vanished. David admitted that the sight of this beast was a shock and that he did not want to go back to the location.
NOTE: I really wish I had more to offer. I kept the notes and vowed to go back and investigate the encounters if more sightings were reported. The witness Darlene may have been on to something. Maybe this was a mythical firebird with the ability to be reborn from its own ashes. Unfortunately, I have not heard of other incidents. Lon
UPDATE: There may have been a more recent sighting by a colleague. If more information comes to light I will add an update. Lon
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