Sunday, September 25, 2011

A Stealthy American Bittern

There were two Am. Bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus) in a small marsh beside a road I travelled this morning....one flew farther into the marsh, the other hid among the cat-tails.


I waited, patiently.....


 I had no idea bitterns had such long, deadly-looking talons


 Bitterns eat amphibians, crayfish and fish


This one steadily kept on walking; no hunting while I was around. 


Click on pix for larger & clearer, if you want to.


3 comments:

  1. Those are huge talons, I would hate to be a small amphibian. Great photos.

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  2. Wow. That first picture looks exactly the way I saw my first ever bittern last spring. I wasn't even looking for anything in particular just starring at a spot in the marsh. Now thats an odd shaped cattail, I thought. There it was....
    Your closeups are fantastic.

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  3. Thanks, both prairiebirder & troutbirder. Bitterns are so neat - I love it when I find one posing and trying to fit right into the cattails. "Can't see me!"

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