Observation date: June 27, 2021
Date notes: Seen on Jun. 26, 27, 28, suspected same individual.
Submitted by: MattK
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: The subject individual was seen on three dates, June 26, 27, 28 in Alamogordo NM. The first two sightings were at my home on Bellamah Dr, the third, it apparently hitched a ride on my car to a parking lot near 1st St and White Sands.
One of my neighbors has a guy come in maybe once a month to help with yard work. He parks his truck and trailer in the alley behind my home. The truck has TX plates. He'd been there earlier in the day of the first sighting and it seems most likely that the Black Witch hitch-hiked up from El Paso on the guy's truck. But talking with other locals, apparently they are known from the Cloudcroft area, not far from here but in the mountains, a very different ecology.
The first sighting, the creature entered my home, there's a pic of it on the ceiling of my living room, taken without flash, here. i turned out all the lights and left the door open. It was gone from inside my home by the next morning but later that evening it was seen again on my patio, resting on a pile of banana peels (long story about the banana peels). Pic taken with flash. The next day, i had an appointment in town. After parking at that destination, i saw what is likely the same individual fly up from in front of my car and land high on a guy wire for a utility pole. i figure it's hitch-hiking to Albuquerque ;-)
The weather at the time was rainy (light rain), cool, in the mid to upper 60s (F). The second pic, in that the subject was not disturbed by the flash, i dug out the tape measure. It's about 5" across with its wings partly folded in the second pic.
The pics included here are crops, the original jpegs can be made available. They were indeed taken by me.
If there's anything more you'd want from me on this sighting, let me know.
Status: Resident
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: August 21, 2023
Coordinator notes: None.
