The American Bittern and the Art of Observation

by Scott Simmons

American Bittern Blending with his Surroundings

American Bitterns are one of my favorite birds.  I love them in part because they are so hard to find. They tend to stay hidden in cattails and bulrushes while searching for fish, reptiles and amphibians, and their coloration is wonderful camouflage for them.  So every time I see one, it's a real sense of accomplishment for me. My search to find and photograph American Bitterns has taught me a little about the art of observation.

American Bittern out for a Look Around

Earlier this month my dad and I were at Viera Wetlands, and we saw what looked like the bill of a bittern sticking out of the top of the reeds. As we approached, it disappeared.  So we waited, and waited. Eventually, we saw a beautiful American Bittern stalking something in the reeds. We watched for about 10 minutes, and he became progressively more bold, sticking his neck up so that we could have almost a full view of him.

American Bittern

American Bittern
(notice how he can point his bill up while looking down)

The experience was one of the most thrilling experiences of the day, but it reminded me of the need to be careful about finding and observing birds.  Here are some "rules to live by" when searching for birds:

1. Know about the habitat of the birds you want to find.  Since we knew where to find the bird, we paid special attention to areas where the bittern may be hiding.
2. Know when to look for the bird.  The eBird website has valuable information here.  It tells me that the American Bittern is found most commonly at Viera Wetlands between October and April.  So I knew in November there was a decent chance of one being there.
3. Learn bird calls.  If you recognize the "ker-plunk!" sound of an American Bittern, you'll know to stop and watch.
4. Look for movement.  When we saw only one section of reeds moving, we knew it wasn't the wind. The bittern was on the move.
5. Walk/drive slowly and quietly.  I suppose this goes without saying.  It's easy to walk right by birds that are good at hiding, and it's easy to spook them with noises.  Take the time to be observant, and look at the same area from several vantage points.
6. Stay concealed as much as possible.  If you can remain behind a tree or other obstacle, you wil be less threatening.  Staying low to the ground also helps.  For some birds, staying in your car is less threatening than leaving it.  I stayed in my car to photograph this bittern.  If I opened the car door to get closer, I suspect that the bittern would have crouched out of view or flown away.
7. Be Still.  When we see the bird we're looking for, we're often quick to move our camera or binoculars up to our eyes.  But sudden movements even as small as this can cause the bird the bird to fly away.  If I'm anticipating finding a bird, I raise my camera up almost to chin level so that I don't have to make any quick movements to get the camera to my eye.   

American Bittern in Flight