5.5.13 | Green Cay Wetlands in Palm Beach County, FL

He landed right in front of me and disappeared into the grass for about 30 minutes.

It's a common resident and winter visitor but rarely sighted.

Female

Bittern flying around at RSPB Rye Meads Nature Reserve at the weekend. Was very pleased with this shot. the Bittern came out of nowhere and was beautiful to see it flying around above my head! Taken in poor light.

South Padre Island, Texas

YBWA

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Chambers County, Texas

Riverlands Migratory Bird Sancturay 9/3/12

Messalonskee Lake, ME - 17-May-2014

Flying into cover. The only glimpse that we got before he disappeared.

Taken at RSPB Minsmere 13th April from the Island Mere Hide

FIELD MARKS-mottled brown upperparts and brownish neck streaks.contrasting dark flight feathers are conspicuos in flight;note also that wings are longer, narrower, and more pointed, not rounded as in night- heron,-juvenile lacks neck patches. when alarmed,freezes with bill pointing up,or flushes with rapid wingbeats.

Bittern NYMR Pickering

Coba, Quintana Roo

Taken at Blashford Lakes. He was showing well all day.

Coyote Hills, Fremont

Special Thanks to Nick (CH Park Ranger) for the location of the Bird

Lake Claremont, Claremont WA

Orange Co, Fl

March 16, 2011

thedrinkingbirdblog.com

ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S7859683

American Bittern, Anhinga Trail, Everglades

Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottm.

American Bittern

Camden, NY

Digiscoped with:

Nikon Fieldscope III 60ED

Nikon P5100

Bittern taken from the East Marsh Pool hide at Brandon Marshes.

North Point State Park,

Baltimore County, Maryland

American Bittern

Many thanks to all those who View, Comment and or Fave My Photos... It is greatly appreciated... Roy

Turnbull Birding Center, Port A. Tx.

Little River NWR, OK

10-18-10 Green Cay Wetlands ... After being blessed with the Bobcat tonight I thought the day was over but on my way out I saw this guy. It was already really dark and my camera only focused this one time...sometimes it pays to be lucky!

View On Black

There is a story behind this and it goes something like...

Two colleagues from work told me that Bitterns are quite common at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Each time my wife and I visited the RNWR I would search and search, hoping to spy one of these fine creatures. None were ever to be found.

On this particular trip I started a joke by cursing these illusive birds. "Those g*d-d*mned Bitterns!" "Rob and Rick are lying sacks of sh*t!" "There are no Bitterns here!"

So imagine my surprise when we motored around a bend in the road and spied this guy!

On came the brakes. Out came the Sigmonster and 7D. "Bang" went the shutter at 8fps!!! I was going to get this guy, no matter what!

Then the evil thought occurred to me: What if Rob and Rick had placed a stuffed Bittern-like animal out in the marsh just to trick me?

Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, Port Aransas

I've rarely seen a Bittern in the open like this. So I made this image on Heron Hideout at the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland Florida. AMBI_1D4_2734

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Chambers County, Texas

North Lakes, Brisbane QLD.

July 2014.

Despite flying in close to where I was standing, it somehow managed to remain constantly and frustratingly behind a few strands of sedges!

Southwest Area Park, Baltimore MD, late-March 2011;

Bittern - Botaurus stellaris. I'd heard the Bittern booming, then noticed the top of the reed bed moving, then out he flew!

Circle B Bar Reserve, Polk County, Fl.

Found the American Bittern creeping through the grass.

Taken at Old Moor behind the Bittern Hide

North Marsh, Tophill Low N R,

East Yorkshire

Attenborough Nature Reserve, Notts.