During the first weekend in July 2006, various published photographs from the Florida site of NASA’s probable Space Shuttle launch showed rather large birds near the location.

One of these pictures (see below) was so dramatic that Matt Drudge commented about it on his Sunday night radio program. He remarked that he was being emailed so many questions about it he removed the pix from his Drudge Report website for a time. (Drudge definitely is aware of cryptozoology and infrequently posts news items about sightings of cryptids.)

However, from further photographs published by Drudge (below) and elsewhere, it is obvious these aren’t Thunderbird teratorns or Mothman-related giant owls, but turkey and black vultures.

As it turns out, birds are a common problem around the launch sites and have been for some time. The following is a selection of past photographs of various avian intruders from around the NASA operations. Most of these are from 2005.

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