Inexplicable object

Late one night last week, I stumbled upon something on the side street behind my building -- something I can't explain...

inexplicable. Image hosted on my Flickr site.

Here is a close-up. DEAR GOD, WHAT IS THAT THING?

inexplicable closeup. Image hosted on my Flickr site.

Well, it appears to be, erm, female. The presence of the ballpoint pen suggests it may be some kind of transcribing or recording device. My guess: alien probe. Sent by the Martians in response to recent overtures from NASA. Doesn't it kind of look like a Mars probe as re-envisioned by Tim Burton?

When daylight arrived, it had vanished. Of course it had. WATCH THE SKIES.