2004_1570 American Bittern
Bitterns like to hide among cattails; in fact, they do an excellent imitation of a cattail stalk. They've fooled me many a time. This time, however, the bittern was at the margin of a small wetland, where last year's tall grass provided some cover. To reach the safety of a dense stand of cattails would entail crossing open ground, and so he tried to fool me into thinking he was grass. It almost worked...
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2020 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
2004_1570 American Bittern
Bitterns like to hide among cattails; in fact, they do an excellent imitation of a cattail stalk. They've fooled me many a time. This time, however, the bittern was at the margin of a small wetland, where last year's tall grass provided some cover. To reach the safety of a dense stand of cattails would entail crossing open ground, and so he tried to fool me into thinking he was grass. It almost worked...
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2020 James R. Page - all rights reserved.