Life Bird #2 … American Bittern

Yesterday I posted about a “life” bird I found in the Florida Everglades recently, the Least Bittern. Today’s post is another life bird from that trip, one that was found about 3 days later, while photographing at Green Cay Wetlands. This bird, the American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a larger “cousin” of the least bittern. But it has many of the same behaviors and qualities of the least bittern. The American bittern grows to about 24″, twice as tall as the smaller, least bittern. But the American bittern has the same camoflauge markings, the brown and white lengthwise stripes, that make it difficult to see as it “hides” in the taller marsh grasses. While walking around the boardwalk at Green Cay, I came upon a small group of people who were watching or photographing the American bitter. Joining in, I captured these images: American Bittern foraging American Bittern foraging American Bittern foraging American Bittern foraging American Bittern foraging American Bittern foraging American Bittern foraging Finding one “life” bittern was very exciting. But finding a second species was even more rewarding. We should have some bitterns in the area where I live, but I have never been fortunate enough to find them. Taking 2 birds off my bucket list made the trip that much more fun! Photography Equipment Used:

  • Canon 7D body
  • Canon EF100mm-400mm, f/4.5 – f/5.6 IS lens, at 320mm to 400mm
  • Handheld, with IS “On”
  • ISO 500
  • Aperture f/5.6 – f/11
  • Shutter 1/200 sec. to 1/2000 sec.
Posted in Bird Photography, Nature Photography, Travel Photography
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