What was that?
Lucy decided to come on the 'just before bed' dog walk tonight.
As usual we had no torch. Tonight there was a beautiful bright three quarter moon. We were happily chatting and walking up the lane when we heard the most horrible noise. It was a loud guttural grunting noise coming from the field. I must admit, I have never heard a sound like it. We hesitantly went a few more steps. I saw a black shape dart from the field into the banking towards the lane. Then more loud groans and grunts and mindless crashing through the undergrowth and crunchy leaf litter. I couldn't at all work out what it was. It was loud and un-nerving. Even though the moon was so bright and visibility good, the shadows were just so much darker I couldn't see what might be making such a racket. It wasn't at all put off by our human talking.
I decided to go back to the farm and ask for a torch. Knocking on the farm door, I was surprised to see the farmers wife answer the door with an ashen face. I apologised for disturbing them but did they have any livestock in that field and explained what we had heard. Evewn though the farmer had gone to bed, he came down in his pyjamas and dressing gown and donning his boots and grabbing a torch he came with us immediately. I think that worried me more than the noise we heard. In my experience a farmer won't get out of bed unless the barn is burning down.
Of course, when we reached the spot there was silence! Tsk! Just when you want to be freaked out, all wildlife holds its breath and waits!
He went in the field and counted his sheep which were all at the farthest end of course, but clearly seen due to the bright moonlight. He had a good look round the dark shadows of the banking, distubing only the roosting pheasants which flew around with their loud 'coughing' clacking sounds which made us jump.
On the way back, he told us that the night before, his wife had woken him up because she had heard the most horrible sound. She thought it was a man groaning loudly and shouting 'help me'. That's not what I heard tonight, but it was certainly something I have never heard before.
As usual we had no torch. Tonight there was a beautiful bright three quarter moon. We were happily chatting and walking up the lane when we heard the most horrible noise. It was a loud guttural grunting noise coming from the field. I must admit, I have never heard a sound like it. We hesitantly went a few more steps. I saw a black shape dart from the field into the banking towards the lane. Then more loud groans and grunts and mindless crashing through the undergrowth and crunchy leaf litter. I couldn't at all work out what it was. It was loud and un-nerving. Even though the moon was so bright and visibility good, the shadows were just so much darker I couldn't see what might be making such a racket. It wasn't at all put off by our human talking.
I decided to go back to the farm and ask for a torch. Knocking on the farm door, I was surprised to see the farmers wife answer the door with an ashen face. I apologised for disturbing them but did they have any livestock in that field and explained what we had heard. Evewn though the farmer had gone to bed, he came down in his pyjamas and dressing gown and donning his boots and grabbing a torch he came with us immediately. I think that worried me more than the noise we heard. In my experience a farmer won't get out of bed unless the barn is burning down.
Of course, when we reached the spot there was silence! Tsk! Just when you want to be freaked out, all wildlife holds its breath and waits!
He went in the field and counted his sheep which were all at the farthest end of course, but clearly seen due to the bright moonlight. He had a good look round the dark shadows of the banking, distubing only the roosting pheasants which flew around with their loud 'coughing' clacking sounds which made us jump.
On the way back, he told us that the night before, his wife had woken him up because she had heard the most horrible sound. She thought it was a man groaning loudly and shouting 'help me'. That's not what I heard tonight, but it was certainly something I have never heard before.