B757-200 FLIGHT CREW AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 FT; FELT A THUMP; HEARD A BANG; AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THE CREW ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS.

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NORMAL TKOF. I WAS PF. AT ABOUT 2000 FT WE FELT A BUMP; HEARD A BANG AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A BIRD STRIKE BUT WERE CONCERNED MOSTLY ABOUT THE SMELL. THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX FELT; HEARD AND SMELLED WHAT WE DID. THERE WERE DANGEROUS GOODS IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. UNSURE OF THE CAUSE OF THE SMELL; I ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND RETURN TO THE FIELD ASAP; FEARING THERE MIGHT BE FIRE SOMEWHERE. THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC CHKLIST TO RUN; SO WE JUST SET UP FOR APCH AND LNDG. APCH CTL OFFERED US RWY INTO THE WIND. IT WAS VISUAL -- WE TOOK IT. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL; 2000 LBS OVER MAX GROSS LNDG WT. MAINT FOUND BIRD REMAINS IN THE L ENG. WE THINK NOW THAT THE BUMP MIGHT HAVE BEEN A SMALL COMPRESSOR STALL. MY FO DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF BACKING ME UP AND GETTING EVERYTHING DONE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 813088: NO WARNINGS OR UNUSUAL INDICATIONS IN COCKPIT; BUT THE SMELL PERSISTED. WE HAD 2 JUMPSEATERS AND NEITHER SAID THEY SAW ANY UNUSUAL INDICATIONS. FLT ATTENDANT IN REAR CALLED AND STATED PAX SAW BRIGHT FLASH ON L SIDE. I PASSED THIS ON TO THE CAPT AND WE DISCUSSED THIS AND DECIDED WE PROBABLY TOOK A BIRD IN THE L ENG AND IT STALLED -- THE POP WE HEARD. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ABOUT 2000 LBS OVERWT. CFR FOLLOWED US TO RAMP AND SAID THEY SAW NO SIGN OF FIRE. AT THE GATE; THE MECHANIC WAS FIRST TO THE COCKPIT AND COMMENTED ON THE BURNING ODOR. IT WAS A VERY QUICK RETURN BECAUSE WE WERE NOT SURE OF THE SOURCE OF THE BURNING ODOR AND FIGURED IT WOULD BE BETTER TO FIGURE IT OUT ON THE GND JUST IN CASE SOMETHING WAS ACTUALLY BURNING OR SMOLDERING AND ABOUT TO ERUPT INTO A LARGER PROB.