Banshee Behind the House

I had barely hit 'post' on the previous entry when a blood-curdling scream began emanating from the back yard. Leaping to my feet, I quickly opened the back door. At first, the scream seemed to be coming from behind my pump house. Poking my head out, I loudly asked, "What's going on? What is that?" The scream stopped.

Then, it began again from a different spot. So guttural, like some poor creature in mortal pain, wailing. The scream stopped, but seconds later began again to the west of the house.

Immediately, I think of the cat and rush to the garage, where the cat stands, confused, looking out at the yard. He follows me into the house. After this, the screaming stops.

The sound could have initially been mistaken for a human woman. After hearing it a few times, I believe it to have been some kind of bird. Maybe it was an owl... although I've heard Screech Owl cries before, and they didn't sound like that.