Very unusual object photographed in Arizona sky

This image was captured on March 21, 2014 in Leupp, AZ at 12:00 pm local time. I took the picture with my phone, which is a Motorola XT907. The focus of my attention was a grouping of odd shaped clouds. Later on when I was scrutinizing the image, I noticed an object in the top center which has me completely baffled. The photo has not been altered in any way.





Full size image: files.abovetopsecret.com...

I have seen and photographed many strange phenomena over the years, but this one easily takes the cake.

Let me be the first to guess...

...some kind of odd weather balloon? I mean, clearly it is not aerodynamically shaped for flying.

If not that, perhaps some sort of weather-ballon LIKE scientific / weather drone.

Any other ideas?

Can you post a link to a site like photobucket where a larger version can be inspected? The pics this site hosts are pretty worthless as they are way to small to glean anything meaningful.

a reply to: htapath

Bird perhaps, caught in the moment the wings flaps down.

a reply to: htapath

looks like a dustbin strange no idea

Maybe a garbage bag that was taken up there by the wind, I could be wrong though. You didn't notice it while you were taking the picture?

a reply to: htapath

Interesting picture! Bird caught while wings were flapping down? Falling space debris? Did you notice anything moving at the time?

Looks like a bird in mid wing flap.

originally posted by: Mianeye
a reply to: htapath

Bird perhaps, cought in the moment the wings flaps down.

This was my first impression as well.

Uh, that is strange. looks like wreckage falling out of the sky. Or like a chunk of unburned satellite falling to earth. kinda looks like the fabled dark knight satellite.

maybe some trash thrown up in the air by the wind. But it doesn't seem like its windy in the picture.

Flagging this thread.

to: htapath

On second look its a bird. The vent earl side is white the top is dark grey. In mid flap. Both wings down, flying away from camera going right to left.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

How can you tell its not windy from this picture?

a reply to: Shepard64

The object was not visible to my eyes. It's plenty large enough that I should have been able to see it. Also, there were two other passengers in my car at the time, and they didn't see the object. We stopped on the side of the road and sat looking for a few minutes at the odd clouds.

a reply to: htapath

Scout Ship from exoplanet Zarmina (Gliese 581 g)

More will arrive shortly

Don't they have large populations of gigantic birds of prey, and scavenger birds out west including Arizona?

Like Condors, Vultures, etc?

Big enough to swoop down and take a baby or a pet dog or cat, right? lol.

It does look like a bird now that I've looked at it again.

Hopefully the original poster will come back and give a bit more info of the experience.

My first impression was a large bird in the downstroke of its wing flapping.

Larger copy would help... looks like a clear shot.

I can see how it looks sort of like a bird but the mid section just seems to strange to be a bird unless its just the angle of the shot playing tricks on my eyes.

a reply to: Bilk22

I have the photo uploaded to imgur, but I cannot access my images at the moment. I can log in fine, but then the page just hangs when I try and navigate to my album. Pop up window says 'unable to connect to imgur'.

Anyone else able to view their uploads on imgur? I'm still trying!

a reply to: Mianeye

That would have to be an extremely large bird! Larger than a 747 in my estimation.

originally posted by: htapath
a reply to: Mianeye

That would have to be an extremely large bird! Larger than a 747 in my estimation.

Exactly how do you figure that?

Doesn't look that distant to me.