American Bittern

Botaurus lentiginosus

08.02.2010 - San Elijo Lagoon, CA

The very first American Bittern James and I ever saw was this fly-by back in 2010. I was lucky to see it, and we'd probably have a better photo but we were using our old Canon SX120 then. Not that it mattered, we'd get much better looks soon.

01.16.2012 - Pea Island NWR, NC

In January 2012, James and I stopped by the North Pond at Pea Island NWR. An American Bittern had been foraging out in the open there for years, but I'd never gotten the chance to see it. We actually missed it the first time around, and only saw it after another birder pointed it out to us.

10.23.2012 - Duke University, NC

During the 2012 fall migration, this American Bittern showed up at an artificial wetland managed by Duke University. When I first went to see it, I couldn't find it immediately, as I was looking too far in the distance. The bird was a mere three feet from the boardwalk I was standing on, and frequently foraged out in the open. People say American Bitterns are secretive and hard to see. As you can tell from our pictures, James and I have never had that problem.