yet another shot of this unusualy confiding bird.

Horicon Marsh NWR... they were everywhere but this one came out close to the road.

(Ixobrychus exilis)

Kankakee Sands, IN

Brazos Bend State Park

Champlain Street north - Orleans

Photographed at Blashford Lakes

South Yorkshire - 2007

He was seen at Nelson Lake in Batavia. He was really hard to see when he was hiding. We were looking at sandhills when he came flying in. It is amazing how small they can make themselves look

Common in Spring, Summer and Fall; *rare in Winter.

Known to nest on the refuge.

Credit: Barbara Wheeler, USFWS Volunteer

*Rare: Known to be present, but not every year.

Bittern

Please see Suffolk June 2013 set flic.kr/s/aHsjG5WJ4z We were lucky enough to see 2 Bitterns on the Tuesday afternoon. These are in order, newest to oldest, so you'll see what I saw.

I've only ever seen one before, so was just ever so slightly delighted! I think the only sound coming from the hide was a lot of cameras on 'continuous' hence the abundance of shots.

You just never know what you're going to come across during a Saturday morning walk. This was only the third time I have sighted one of our most reclusive of birds.

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) stalking its prey. Check out the eyes in the "Original Size" image, they are are so clear it looks like the pupil is sticking out of the eye socket! - The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, NJ.

Taken at WWT Caerlaverock

Digiscoped at Viera Wetlands (official name is Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands at Viera) on February 18, 2012 - the last day of a 5 day Florida birding trip.

Circle B Bar Reserve, Florida

Female Least. Hopefully someday I will catch the male under good digiscoping conditions!

Little Bittern

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

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Chambers County, Texas

I've seen a lot of American Bitterns but this is the first time I saw one wading in such deep water.

Circle B Bar Reserve, Lakeland, FL. It was a foggy and overcast morning at the reserve today.

10/1/10 Chattanooga, TN

Ed & James came down from Nashville to shoot him with me.

We waded into the middle of the swamp/pond to get the best angle. This shot was without the 1.4x because we were too close!

photographed at the marsh hide stodmarsh kent

Travis Co, TX 03-01-13

Riverlands Migratory Bird Sancturay 9/3/12

Little bittern

Hagerman NWR, TX

The classic Bittern pose. This bird was photographed from the Meare Heath hide at Shapwick Heath on the Somerset Levels. I guess that a lot of the attention this year was taken up with the Great White Egret breeding success, well the Bittern is another success and clearly Natural England , RSPB, SWT and the other wildlife agencies are getting things just right on the Somerset Levels

Fish meal #2. It caught four during the time I was shooting it.

Ahem, you've a tail left out! RSPB Minsmere

Taken at RSPB Mismere. I spent an hour and a half watching this Bittern getting closer and closer to the Island Mere Hide. It was regularly catching things to eat. My first ever photos of a Bittern.

OPM Prozesky Bird Sanctuary Potchefstroom

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

You just never know what you're going to come across during a Saturday morning walk. This was only the third time I have sighted one of our most reclusive of birds.

Bittern (Botaurus stellaris), Great Fen, Cambridgeshire. March 15, 2024.

Re-uploaded without location data. Apologies to everyone who's faved or commented on these previously.

Yellow Bittern, Ixobrychus sinensis, 黃斑葦鳽, HK Park 香港公園, 7 June 2009