Screaming from across the fields tonight..

[anaom]

Hello,

So I'm currently in bed trying to get to sleep, but all I can hear is an awful, almost human like screaming coming from across the fields.
We live in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by fields.. only one immediate neighbour.

It sounds awful, like someone or something is in pain! I've never lived around so much open space before so totally not used to the sounds. It's really loud..

Would I be unreasonable to go out and see what it could be? I'm scared someone or something is in danger?

I cant exactly explain the sound.. it's just strange and weirdly haunting looking out the window trying to locate it, and my eye literally can't see past the fence at the end of the garden. It's SO dark.

Not because of foxes, should have read, because they’d think it was foxes

Yes, @Cherrysummer. It should be called 'crying fox' instead of 'crying wolf'. I wonder, though, if something instinctive in us would know to take action, if it really was a human. Also, I think the fact that foxes just keep on howling away when a human would be silenced is a give away, along with no other sounds of scuffling or struggling, no formation of words etc...

I'd hope we would actually know the difference, if it really came down to it.

Another thing to remember about living in the countryside is that Domestic Violence and Abuse tends to be more easily hidden. It is good to educate yourself about noises not to worry about- such as foxes - if new to living or staying in a rural area.

@DeadButDelicious no, it's not sad, it's made up bollocks.

"Lambs" at this point of the year will be up to 7 months old. They are sexually mature adults. Not cute gambolling babies.

If you don't remove the rams from their mothers by 4 months old (at the latest - they can sexually mature at 2 months) they will impregnate their mothers, sisters, and anything else in the vicinity.

@Cherrysummer

I find the responses on this thread, although understandable, sad

It worries me that if ever I was alone and in trouble (I live rurally too) no one would come to my aid because of foxes.

I guess we all need to really educate ourselves of the different sounds so that if ever it is a human we may actually be able to help rather than just ignore!

I hear foxes all the time and would know if it was an actual person screaming instead. But If you’re ever in a situation where you need to scream, scream words.

The first time I heard foxes calling I was just falling asleep. I shit myself thinking an animal was hurt then remembered about foxes. I actually got a YouTube video up to double check and it was exactly that.

@MrsRussell

Don't forget as well, we're only just seeing the butterflies this summer that we normally see in late spring. That cold wet spring we had has put everything back a few weeks. The jackdaws in next door's chimney are just going for their third brood of the year.

Are we? I saw quite a lot of butterflies in spring - they're the ones which overwintered. Then there's a gap, and more starting now, the offspring of the early ones, I think? (Or in some cases summer migrants).

Errol Chris Packham mentioned it a few times on Springwatch - I think they want to do this butterfly audit to see if it's anecdata or if it's true
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57859345